Pubdate: Sun, 13 Jan 2002
Source: Edmonton Sun (CN AB)
Copyright: 2002, Canoe Limited Partnership.
Contact:  http://www.fyiedmonton.com/htdocs/edmsun.shtml
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/135
Author: Shane Holladay, Staff Writer
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmjcn.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal - Canada)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)

POT PUTS ZETTL IN THE BLACK

Grow Operation Is For Love, Not Money

The company producing medical marijuana for the federal government says 
they're in the pharmaceutical plant business for love, not money.

Profits on Canada's first official pot crop since 1923 are marginal, said 
Brent Zettl, president of Prairie Plant Systems.

"There's a wee bit of a margin, but it's not stellar," said Zettl, whose 
company is growing pot for Health Canada.

The feds ponied up $5.7 million for Prairie Plant Systems to produce 1,925 
kilograms of marijuana over five years.

That works out to about $3 a gram, and Zettl said Health Canada is 
considering supplying medical marijuana for just over $2 a gram.

"The reason we priced it that way was because we're viewing this more as a 
proof of concept."

The company's profits are also offset by a $1.7 investment to build the 
facility, buried in a rebuilt mine a kilometre below Flin-Flon, Man., Zettl 
said.

Zettl said he's banking on the hope the ultra-secure underground facility 
built to house the grow operation can be used to produce pharmacological 
plants.

Should the scientific developments evolve as expected, it may be possible 
to introduce genes into plants causing them, for example, to produce 
proteins that fight cancer, he said.

"We see that the need would be there for the privacy and security we have."

Higher aspirations are motivating the work, said Zettl.

"Plus, from a philosophical standpoint, it's nice to make people feel 
better and help them out.

"The marijuana project is really about quality of life issues for people in 
this country."
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MAP posted-by: Jackl