MJ Biz Reports
Groff NA Hemplex, one of eight entities licensed by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration to supply marijuana and THC to scientific researchers, has shuttered following the death of its founder and a lack of funding.
The news comes as the DEA unveiled plans Tuesday to increase by more than 60% the amount of delta-9 THC it would like produced versus an earlier production quota set for 2023.
Dr. Steven Groff, the Pennsylvania-based company’s founder and chief medical officer, passed away in June. He was 58.
Robert Travers, Groff NA’s former production director, said in a LinkedIn message to MJBizDaily that the company “lost funding and has dissolved.”
Travers did not elaborate, and it’s not clear when Groff NA closed.
Joe Grzyb, the former CEO, declined to comment when asked last week about the company’s status.
Grzyb said queries about Groff’s status should be addressed to Rob Kinsley, CEO of Kinsley Enterprises, a Pennsylvania-based management company that oversees the business assets of the Kinsley family.
Calls and emails to Kinsley’s office were not returned.
The DEA did not return phone calls about the matter, including the question of what becomes of Groff’s highly coveted DEA cultivation license.
As of Tuesday morning, Groff NA was still listed among the eight entities with DEA licenses to cultivate cannabis.
Also on Tuesday, the agency published a notice in the Federal Register detailing a proposed increase in delta-9 THC production to 628,460 grams from the initial 2023 quota of 384,460.
Read more
https://mjbizdaily.com/dea-licensed-marijuana-cultivator-groff-ceases-operation/
