Very few people in Richmond even knew they existed, let alone where they're located.
Many city council members, as well, were apparently unaware there was a medical marijuana research facility slap, bang in their municipality.
In all fairness, due to the sensitive nature of the business it's in, MediJean prefers to keep its location low key, saying only that it's based near an RCMP detachment.
Starting April 1 next year, Health Canada is exiting the medical marijuana business and the federal government will phase out the current program in favour of having small businesses retail medical marijuana, at market rates.
And ever since the City of Richmond approved in November the formation of a new bylaw restricting the growth of medical marijuana growing facilities, it's become increasingly difficult for MediJean to fly under the radar.
"(Health Canada's move) is something every municipality is struggling with," said MediJean's chief strategy officer, Anton Mattadeen, from the year-old company's research and development base in Richmond.
"When you say 'medical marijuana,' no one ever hears the medical part, and there's still lots of stigma around this.
"When we approached the city earlier this year, we told them we were going to be completely transparent and we were not fly-bynights.
"If I were in their shoes and a business was coming into my city that I wasn't too familiar with, then I'd want to be very careful and take a good look at it as well."
Initially, said Mattadeen, there was some surprise and a "little bit of discomfort," among city councillors when learning of MediJean's existence.
"But they pay close attention to what's going on across the country and once they listened to what we were about, they seemed more open," he added.
City council's planning committee approved last month a strategy that would limit the type, number and location of federally regulated and licensed medical marijuana facilities across Richmond.
According to the city, B.C. and Nova Scotia have a disproportionately high number of people taking part in the current federal MMAR (medical marijuana access regulation) program.
As such, the city has requested Health Canada not issue any such facility licences until Richmond has established its new strategic approach.
The city has also demanded only one such marijuana production facility be located within the municipal boundaries and is discouraging erecting such a place in the agricultural areas.
MediJean, which employs around 50 staff - including PhD-qualified research and development directors - has no issue with the city's strict guidelines.
"There is room for everyone, but when we got into this, we recognized it wasn't all about growing and selling," explained Mattadeen. "There's a patient, a doctor and a community involved. Achieving the best practices and highest quality is very important to us.
"We've spent the last year planning for this and got our research and development licence in August."
MediJean, which also has a production facility in the same Richmond building ready and waiting, has collected 224 marijuana strains from around the world and has brought them to its highsecurity laboratory to break the plants down to DNA levels and breed them to treat disease.
MediJean's ultimate goal is to eventually set up production capacity on a global scale to supply patients with treatments for serious illnesses, such as cancer, multiple sclerosis and epilepsy. "I was working in the technology and communications industry and if you had told me two years ago that I would now be doing this, I would have said you were crazy," said Mattadeen, of the decision to help get MediJean off the ground.
"To get in on the ground floor on something like this is an incredible opportunity."
