PALM SPRINGS- Edward Reyes and the From the Earth team in Desert Hot Springs typically produce medical cannabis, but this week his group is creating hand sanitizer to fight the current shortage.

“I started making the sanitizer for our dispensary workers, we ran out quickly just like everybody else, and so I started making more sanitizer and now it’s become a public initiative,” said Reyes, a VP of manufacturing for From the Earth.

Inside of a small facility, their equipment has been converted to create an antispetic.

“We’re giving back to first responders and hospitals, there’s a big shortage right now and instead of turning a profit we’re doing everything we can to help out,” said Reyes.

With their new focus, the group can create almost 300 gallons of hand sanitizer a week for the county and surrounding areas.

“Fortunately for us a lot of the equipment that we have can easily be used to make several things and so hand sanitizer, being primarily made of ethanol, is what we use in our every day process,” said Reyes.

The finished product is then sent out for free to those in need.

“We deliver everything in food grade buckets with sealed lids everything is formulated to FDA standards,” said Reyes.

The For the Earth team will continue to manufacture sanitizers until the need subsides.

“As long as we’re here and as long as we can provide we’re going to do so. We want to keep fighting with the rest of the people who are trying to get through this challenging time,” said Reyes.

Gallons of sanitizer will be delivered in the coming weeks, after first responders are taken care of, the group will see if they can address the public’s need as well.