KITTERY POINT, Maine — Coastal Architects announced it was awarded the commission to design and develop a 60,000-square-foot facility to grow and distribute marijuana for medical purposes.

The facility will be located in Nanaimo, British Columbia, and is one of the few Health Canada licensed medical marijuana growing operations in that country. Brian Rodonets, principal architect of Coastal Architects, said the facility is currently growing, packaging, distributing and selling in it phase two capacity and should be at full production by January 2015.

Rodonets said the project team of engineers, which he selected, has worked closely with him to meet the stringent demands of Health Canada as well as the Seattle owner’s short construction timeline. Rodonets said Tilray Corporation, held by Seattle based Privateer Holdings, is to help meet the needs of a North American population using cannabis for medical purposes.

According to various reports, cannabis is believed to be a cancer fighting agent for a range of cancers including breast and prostate. Studies suggest it can reduce tumors and plaque in the brain associated with Alzheimer’s disease. It can also be modified and grown without the hallucinogenic component THC and prescribed for pain relief.