Cannabis processing facility in Jasper ready to produce first batch of meds
April 21, 2026
Cannabis processing facility in Jasper ready to produce first batch of meds
WVTM 13 NEWS STARTS NOW AND WELCOME IN THE STATE OF ALABAMA. COULD BE JUST A COUPLE OF WEEKS AWAY FROM THE FIRST MEDICAL CANNABIS DISPENSARY OPENING FOR BUSINESS. THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING US HERE AT 5:00. I’M BRITTANY DECKER AND I’M CARLA WADE. THIS MARKS A MAJOR STEP FORWARD IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING THESE PRODUCTS TO THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN WAITING YEARS ON THE LEGAL BATTLE OVER IT TO PLAY OUT. WE HAVE OUR WVTM 13 LISA CRANE JOINING US LIVE AND LOCAL TODAY IN JASPER, WHERE THE NEXT STEP IN THE PROCESS FOR MEDICAL CANNABIS IS UNDERWAY. ELISA, YOU’RE ALL DRESSED UP. WHAT ARE THEY DOING WITH THE PRODUCTS HERE? WE ARE AT HOMESTEAD HEALTH IN JASPER. THIS IS A MEDICAL CANNABIS PROCESSING FACILITY. AND THAT’S WHY I’M DRESSED LIKE THIS. THIS IS ALL FOR CONTAINMENT OF CONTAMINATION CONTROL. RATHER, I SHOULD SAY. I’VE GOT THE HAIRNET ON. I’VE GOT THE SHOE COVERS ON AND THE LAB COAT HERE. THAT’S BECAUSE THEY ARE PRODUCING PHARMACEUTICAL GRADE MEDICINE HERE. THIS IS THE EXTRACTION ROOM I’M STANDING IN RIGHT NOW. AND THIS IS WHERE THE ACTUAL CANNABIS PLANTS ARE TURNED IN TO THIS LIQUID RIGHT HERE. THIS IS THE ACTUAL MEDICINAL PART OF THE CANNABIS PLANT THAT WILL SOON BECOME CAPSULES, TOPICALS, OR GUMMIES. HOMESTEAD HEALTH IS ONE OF FOUR CANNABIS PROCESSING FACILITIES LICENSED IN ALABAMA. THEY BUY CANNABIS PLANTS FROM GROWERS AND TURN THEM INTO MEDICINE. SO HERE THEY ARE. THEY’RE MAKING THE MOLDS HERE. YOU LITERALLY CAN JUST TAKE YOUR FINGER AND POP THEM OUT HERE. MEDICINE IN A VARIETY OF FORMS. GELATINOUS CUBES, TINCTURES, HARD CANDIES, TOPICALS, REPOSITORIES. THE OWNER, TYLER ROBINSON, HAS JUST PROCESSED HIS FIRST CANNABIS PLANTS, SOMETHING HE’S BEEN WORKING TOWARDS SINCE ALABAMA LAWMAKERS APPROVED MEDICAL CANNABIS IN 2021. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON ALMOST FIVE YEARS, AND I COMMEND MY TEAM TENACITY. THEY’VE HAD TO KEEP GETTING, YOU KNOW, PUNCHED IN THE HIGHS AND LOWS. BUT WE’RE HERE ONCE CANNABIS PLANTS ARRIVE AT THE PROCESSOR, THE WORK BEGINS. ONCE WE RECEIVE THAT, WE’LL ACTUALLY SNIP ALL THOSE BUDS AND EVERYTHING OFF, REMOVE ANY UNDESIRABLE MATERIAL LIKE THE STEMS, THE STALKS AND EVERYTHING TO WHERE IT’S JUST THOSE BUDS AND LEAVES, THE GRIND ALL OF THAT DOWN, AND THEN WE’LL PUT IT INTO OUR CUP 30 ETHANOL EXTRACT OVER HERE. ONCE IT RUNS THROUGH THAT, THIS IS WHAT COMES OUT. IT IS AN ETHANOL AND OIL MIXTURE. BEFORE THIS CAN BE TURNED INTO A GUMMY OR PILL, THE STATE LAB WILL TEST IT TO MAKE SURE IT’S SAFE AND FREE FROM CONTAMINANTS. IN A PERFECT WORLD, THE PLANT CAN BE TURNED INTO MEDICINE IN ABOUT A WEEK, BUT RIGHT NOW, THEY’RE WAITING ON LAB RESULTS BEFORE THEY CAN MOVE FORWARD. WE’RE TRYING TO GO AS QUICK AS WE CAN SHOOTING FOR THE END OF THE WEEK OF MAY 4TH, BUT IT MAY BE THE WEEK OF MAY 11TH BEFORE WE CAN DO IT. NOW, THIS ROLLOUT COULD BE SLOW GOING AT FIRST BECAUSE PHYSICIANS ARE STILL BEING CERTIFIED TO ACTUALLY RECOMMEND MEDICAL CANNABIS TO PATIENTS, AND THOSE PATIENTS MUST BE ISSUED CARDS SO THEY CAN ACTUALLY PURCHASE THESE PRODUCTS. THE VERY FIRST DISPENSARY,
Updated: 5:45 PM CDT Apr 21, 2026
Cannabis processing facility in Jasper ready to produce first batch of meds
Updated: 5:45 PM CDT Apr 21, 2026
The state of Alabama could be just a couple of weeks away from the first medical cannabis dispensary opening for business. It marks a major step in the process of getting the products to those who’ve been waiting for years for the legal battle over it to play out. One of the four state-licensed processing facilities is Homestead Health in Jasper. They buy cannabis plants from growers and turn them into medicine, in many different forms. The owner, Tyler Robinson, has just processed his first cannabis plants, something he’s been working towards since Alabama lawmakers approved medical cannabis in 2021. Robinson said, “This has been going on almost five years, and I commend my team’s tenacity. They’ve had to keep getting, you know, punched in the highs and lows. But we’re here.”Once cannabis plants arrive at the processor, the work begins.Patrick Pierson is the Operations Manager. He said, “Once we receive that, we’ll actually snip all those buds, and everything off will move any undesirable material like the stems and stalks and everything to where it’s just those buds and leaves will grind all of that down, and then we’ll put it into our cup 30 ethanol extractor over here. Once it runs through that, this is what comes out is an ethanol and oil mixture.”Before it can be turned into a gummy or pill, the state lab will test it to make sure it’s safe and free from contaminants. In a perfect world, the plant can be turned into medicine in about one week, but right now, they’re waiting on lab results before they can move forward.Robinson added, “We are trying to go as quick as we can, shooting for the end of the week of May 4th, but it might be a week on May 11th before we can do it. But our team, like I said, it’s the tenacity they said we are. We are grinding as hard as we can to get this for the patients.”>> YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD: Community coverage from WVTM 13This rollout could be slow going at first, as physicians are still being certified to recommend patients for medical cannabis. Then those patients must be issued a card before they can actually purchase these products. But the first dispensary could be open within the next few weeks.
The state of Alabama could be just a couple of weeks away from the first medical cannabis dispensary opening for business. It marks a major step in the process of getting the products to those who’ve been waiting for years for the legal battle over it to play out.
One of the four state-licensed processing facilities is Homestead Health in Jasper. They buy cannabis plants from growers and turn them into medicine, in many different forms. The owner, Tyler Robinson, has just processed his first cannabis plants, something he’s been working towards since Alabama lawmakers approved medical cannabis in 2021. Robinson said, “This has been going on almost five years, and I commend my team’s tenacity. They’ve had to keep getting, you know, punched in the highs and lows. But we’re here.”
Once cannabis plants arrive at the processor, the work begins.
Patrick Pierson is the Operations Manager. He said, “Once we receive that, we’ll actually snip all those buds, and everything off will move any undesirable material like the stems and stalks and everything to where it’s just those buds and leaves will grind all of that down, and then we’ll put it into our cup 30 ethanol extractor over here. Once it runs through that, this is what comes out is an ethanol and oil mixture.”
Before it can be turned into a gummy or pill, the state lab will test it to make sure it’s safe and free from contaminants. In a perfect world, the plant can be turned into medicine in about one week, but right now, they’re waiting on lab results before they can move forward.
Robinson added, “We are trying to go as quick as we can, shooting for the end of the week of May 4th, but it might be a week on May 11th before we can do it. But our team, like I said, it’s the tenacity they said we are. We are grinding as hard as we can to get this for the patients.”
>> YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD: Community coverage from WVTM 13
This rollout could be slow going at first, as physicians are still being certified to recommend patients for medical cannabis. Then those patients must be issued a card before they can actually purchase these products. But the first dispensary could be open within the next few weeks.
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