Trulieve Turns Former PA Steel Mills Into Cannabis Cultivation Facility

Trulieve Cannabis TCNNF, a leading multi-state operator (MSO), will soon be moving into a former U.S. Steel guardhouse and several adjacent parcels in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania…to grow some weed.

The Deal

The Regional Industrial Development Corporation (RIDC), a nonprofit dedicated to acquiring and redeveloping abandoned property in PA, like these steel mills, announced in a press release this week that it has completed a transaction with Trulieve, which will turn the abandoned steel mill into a cannabis cultivation and processing facility that spans 508,000 square feet (about ten football fields).

A $2 million RACP (Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program) grant assisted Trulieve’s expansion.

“Trulieve is thrilled to partner with RIDC as we strive to bring high-quality medical marijuana to patients in Pennsylvania,” said Jim Wernick, Trulieve’s director of state expansion.

“We look forward to building lasting partnerships with communities and benefiting from the strong talent pool that exists in McKeesport and the surrounding areas,” Wernick added.

The famed Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference will gather industry insiders and investors from around the world, including Trulieve CEO Kim Rivers, on October 14 and 15 in New York City. Attendees can expect two full days of keynotes, panel discussions, fireside chats, networking, company presentations, celebrity appearances and an impressive lineup of the top journalists in the cannabis space.

McKeesport's Mayor Michael Cherepko told nextpittsburg.com that Trulieve is creating jobs in the area.

“It’s because of companies like Trulieve — the jobs they bring and their investments in the community — that our economy is steadily growing. This tremendous investment will translate to several hundred more jobs coming to our community,” Cherepko said.

Valuable Assets: Donald F. Smith, Jr., RIDC president said that Allegheny County, where the development will take place, has a talented workforce and proximity to national transportation and distribution networks.

The move is in line with the previous arguments made by PA Governor Tom Wolf, who has said that revenue from legal cannabis could be used to support “historically disadvantaged small businesses through grant funding,” and “support restorative justice programs to help the individuals and communities that have been adversely harmed by the criminalization of marijuana.”

32,000 Full-Time Potential Jobs For Pennsylvanians

According to a 2021 Leafly Cannabis Jobs Report, Pennsylvania's existing medical marijuana market created more than 7,000 jobs in 2020 and this new move by Trulieve, and more importantly cannabis legalization, could boost that number way up. 

In fact, with 3 to 5 years of legalization, the cannabis industry could employ as many Pennsylvanians as the state's once-famous steel industry.