A medical marijuana grower is seeking to open a location in the industrial park off Highway M in Truesdale.

Representatives of Bluebird Botanical approached Truesdale’s city government in July to introduce their operation and begin laying groundwork for an eventual business license.

Mike Cleary, of Bluebird, said the company is planning to take over the old Hays Food plant in the industrial park, which is south of Highway M on South Spoede Lane. He addressed Truesdale’s Board of Aldermen July 22.

“We are a high quality production marijuana facility for medicine for the 31,000 registered marijuana patients in Missouri,” Cleary said.

He explained that the business is currently in negotiation to purchase the Hays plant, and has a target to begin outfitting the facility for marijuana cultivation by the end of this year. Cleary said Bluebird hopes for the facility to be operational by early 2021.

The July meeting with aldermen served as an introduction of the businesses, but Bluebird will have to return at a later date to formally request a business license to operate within Truesdale.

Mayor Chris Watson said city leaders are interested in having the business, but will ask for additional details about its operation before approving a license.

One of the chief areas of concern for the city is how the facility will be secured against theft or break-ins.

Cleary said Bluebird will have a small team of security officers staffed at the facility, and that it will follow all state mandates for securing a tracking the plants it produces.

“We’re very conscious about security at the plant. It has a full track from seed to plant on any plant that we put through the facility. It’s locked down, it’s highly secured,” Cleary said. He agreed to have Truesdale Police Chief Casey Doyle meet with security officers once the facility is closer to operational.

Responding to another question, Cleary said the plant will have 30 to 40 employees, some of whom will be hired locally.

City staff also asked whether Bluebird will generate any sales taxes from their operations, and whether the facility has been licensed by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.

Keith Hock, another Bluebird representative, said the facility is intended to operate as a wholeseller, and will not be selling any product to individual consumers. That means it won’t generate sales taxes.

Hock said Bluebird does have necessary state licensing for marijuana cultivation.

The Record contacted the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services to confirm Bluebird’s licensing status. A department representative said Bluebird does have a state license for marijuana cultivation, and not for any other purpose such as manufacturing or dispensing product.

However, state records indicate Bluebird’s cultivation license is for a location in Washington County, Mo. Licensees can apply to change their facility location, but must receive approval from the Department of Health and Senior Services, the department representative said.