Producer of cannabis oil, products moving to Midway

Kentucky Cannabis Co. will bring 20 employees to the building that once housed Robin's Nest Bakery.

By Kennedy Sabharwal
University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

The Kentucky Cannabis Co. is consolidating its offices and moving from Fayette County to downtown Midway. Mayor Grayson Vandegrift said Monday that the company is moving into the building formerly known as the Robin’s Nest Bakery.

KCC says it introduced cannabidiol to Kentucky in 2013 and was one of the original six companies approved to legally cultivate hemp in the state in 2014. It grows hemp in Mercer County, and produces CBD oil and incorporates the oil into products.

Bill Polyniak and Dave Hendrick founded the company in 2013 in hopes of legalizing hemp for Polyniak’s son, who was diagnosed with epilepsy.

Adriane Polyniak

Polyniak’s wife, Adriane, executive director of KCC, said in a telephone interview that they chose to move the office because “We loved the atmosphere and we are really intrigued by that. … I mean, it literally fits every aspect of it being a vertically integrated hemp business. … it just really fit all of our needs.”

Polyniak said she and her husband think the move will benefit Midway by attracting people seeking high-quality CBD products from their retail shop and tours of the company. She said about 20 current employees will make the move, and once the Midway office opens at least three or four more jobs will become available, depending on production and the company’s needs.

Vandegrift said in announcing the move, “We are extremely excited to have this innovative, health-focused company in downtown Midway, and look forward to them becoming a part of our business community.”

Polyniak said she expects the Midway retail store in late October or early November, and the fully functional office to be open by January 2020.

KCC’s facilities, scattered across Fayette County, include administration offices, labs, extraction buildings, research cultivation spaces, and a retail store.

Polyniak said KCC’s considerable growth in the past five years prompted the move to Midway, and it’s in their best interests to combine all their offices under one roof since it will aid with cost savings “above all else.”

Polyniak said the company hasn’t put pen to paper to calculate the exact increase in profit that the move will generate, but is expecting a 400% increase in production from the move.

Polyniak said KCC is the only hemp company in the Eastern U.S. that uses hydrocarbon distillation to extract CBD oil. According to The Essential Chemistry Industry, hydrocarbon distillation uses heat to separate chemicals. With hemp, CBD oil is separated from shorter-length carbon compounds by their different boiling temperatures.

Unlike many other cannabidiol companies, KCC does not sell any vape products. Polyniak said the company’s products vary from oils to balms, lotions, honey, soaps and bath balms.