Committed to the cure

Committed to the Cure

Since 1999, Maine has allowed prescribing and limited possession to its citizens. So it makes sense that Dylan Proctor, one of the state’s first and youngest medical card holders, has some of the most advanced understanding of the science behind growing. From homegrown cultivator to pioneering pheno-hunter, he’s now at the helm of East Coast Cure, along with his partner and COO Ellie Coyne. Decades of growing experience and deep roots in the industry have allowed them to push their plants to the highest point possible (but this story is just beginning).

“At 15 years old, I was able to obtain my med card [in Maine]. I was one of the youngest patients in the state at the time. That's when I increased it to six plants and was growing in a hundred gallon pots and was growing like 12 - 13 foot trees.”

Dylan Proctor,
CEO and Owner, East Coast Cure

For longtime cultivator, Dylan Proctor, the journey to CEO of East Coast Cure feels like a natural one. But when you take a step back and consider that all of this started with a couple of plants he grew in the woods, the trajectory he’s had is light years away from most. Since its founding in 2009, his business has been expanding into things like tissue culture analysis, advancing the science behind growing and genetic selection.

Ellie’s path up to Maine is a little more circuitous, but oddly enough, it does also start with growing weed in the woods. The North Carolina native has always had a passion for this plant, cultivating her love for it in college and the years thereafter. Upon leaving her home state and moving out to Oregon, she saw the possibilities for legal cannabis, eventually making her way to Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and then Maine.

“I knew at a young age, cannabis was gonna be something life changing for me.”

Ellie Coyne,
Chief Operating Officer, East Coast Cure

Surrounded by the support of their family and friends, the vertically-integrated business is powered by the same people who watched them come up in the canna-world. Ellie and Dylan’s parents still play an important role in East Coast Cure’s day-to-day, and their growing network of friends in the industry helps, too. In this world, roots run deep, so the advice mentoring cultivators pass down has been priceless to their success and the tech they adopt to achieve it.

“I first heard about AROYA from Ramsey Nubani. He actually called me a month or so before the launch date and told me this program was about to come out and it was next level and I had to look into it. From there, I took right to it. I was one of the first to get it. And we've never turned back since.”

Dylan Proctor,
CEO and Owner, East Coast Cure

With fourteen years in the industry, Dylan has turned his attention to developing some of the dankest game-changing genetics on the East Coast. With their own tissue lab in Bangor, he’s able to bring back rare strains to their original vigor, some cultivars we haven’t seen (or smoked) in decades. Creating their own catalog of proprietary genetics, East Coast Cure partners strategically with other pheno-hunters and collectors around the country, ensuring they’re always adding to their list of offerings.

As some of the earliest adopters of AROYA, it comes as no surprise that their facilities are decked out with all of the top-of-the-line tech. Their Bangor facility boasts at least 100 flowering lights, with more lights in their veg and mother rooms. Then there’s the full-light deprivation greenhouse across town, complete with environmental sensors that help Dylan and Ellie keep tabs, no matter where they are. The setups allow them to test new tech and push new strains under a variety of crop steering conditions. The end result? A product that’s sought out in medical and recreational shops across Maine, and a reputation for quality that speaks for itself.

“We're at an exciting time with this company…We're a group of young business owners and having a staff that we can also elevate on our journey is super important.”

Ellie Coyne,
Chief Operating Officer, East Coast Cure

Growing their business is important, but so is the mission to elevate other like-minded cultivators along the journey. Not only have these cannabis experts carved out plenty of space (with room to grow) on the East Coast, they’re still expanding, with operations in the works in New York and Ellie’s home state of North Carolina. It’s beyond exciting to see what they’re going to grow into next, and how the industry elevates along with them.