ROCK TOURS COVERT POT FARM

Medicinal Weed Growing Rapidly In Abandoned Mine Shaft Under Heavy Security

FLIN FLON, Man. - It wasn't your everyday business opening. But then,
growing pot with the blessing of the government isn't your everyday business.

Dressed in overalls and hard hats, Saskatoon entrepreneur Brent Zettl and
Health Minister Allan Rock on Thursday cut the ribbon on the world's first
legal marijuana plantation, during a ceremony accompanied by enough secrecy
and security to make a military planner proud.

The two men, three journalists and a small party of dignitaries travelled
more than 200 metres underground to an abandoned mine shaft located under a
lake. Exactly how deep they went to visit the Prairie Plants Systems Inc.
(PPS) greenhouse was a closely guarded secret. And just how many plants
they inspected wasn't divulged.

As one reporter described, the health minister encountered a forest of
vibrant green plants bursting from containers, filling the chamber with a
musky sweetness.

Thanks to humid air filled with carbon dioxide, some of the plants are
nearly two metres high, just 42 days after seeding.

"So this is what they look like," Rock joked as he watched expert growers
wearing white sterile suits baby the plants that will provide the roots of
Canada's new medicinal marijuana policy.

Come October, Canada's first crop of medicinal marijuana will be available
for clinical trials and for use by people suffering with the pain of
multiple sclerosis, AIDS, cancer, epilepsy and those who are terminally
ill. There's little chance the production schedule will be interrupted by
thieves. The stash is protected by four security systems - an arrangement
necessary to meet federation regulations.

The ceremony, held at an active Hudson Bay Mining and Smelting (HBMS) mine
site located about 10 kilometres northeast of here, was a clear sign the
federal government intends to forge ahead with a bold experiment that has
raised the ire of doctors and the curiosity of governments around the world.

This week, Ottawa released regulations for the medicinal use of weed, in a
move that seemed to please no one. Marijuana activists say the guidelines
are too restrictive. And the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) is wary of
doctors being asked to prescribe a drug that hasn't gone through rigourous
clinical tests.

At a reception following the mine tour, Rock said his department conducted
extensive consultations before drawing up the guidelines. He said they can
be adapted with the co-operation of doctors.

Despite the criticism voiced this week, Rock said the government must
proceed with the initiative. He stressed court decisions have placed Ottawa
on a train of events that make the growth of its own supply of medical
marijuana a logical necessity. And providing the drug to ill people who
will benefit is the compassionate thing to do, he added.

"I couldn't live with myself if we didn't move on it," said the Toronto MP,
one of several senior cabinet ministers reportedly interested in succeeding
Prime Minister Jean Chretien.

"No one is in favour of the recreational use of heroin, but we have it
available medically. No one would suggest we should recreationally use
morphine, but I remember the relief it gave my mother when she was dying."

Zettl, the president and chief executive officer of PPS, was also
passionate when speaking about the project. In fact, he nearly broke down
as he thanked his staff for their hard work during trying times.

PPS, which was awarded a five-year $5.75-million contract last December to
supply Health Canada with 185 kilograms of marijuana this year and 420
kilograms per year after that, has made money in just two years of its
12-year existence. The company, which has been active at the Flin Flon site
since 1991, also owns a state-of-the-art greenhouse in Saskatoon.

"It's a victorious day for us," said Zettl, 39. "As a biotech company,
raising money is a hard issue and having a profitable ledger is a hard
issue, especially when you don't have a big backer. We had a lot of dark,
challenging days. People really had to dig deep to stay committed. They
stuck in there and we came out the winner."

According to one report, 3,000 marijuana plants have been sown in the
company's growth chamber, a 12,000-square-foot area illuminated by more
than 100 thousand-watt grow lamps. The seed was donated by several Canadian
police departments.

The marijuana will have a THC content of between five and six per cent. THC
is the main psychoactive ingredient in dope. It's expected doctors will
eventually be able to custom-order marijuana with a particular potency.

In time, Zettl hopes PPS can cultivate a range of crops in its greenhouse,
dubbed the "Rock Garden" during the health minister's visit. The company is
using only a small percentage of the space available. "There could be a
time when we could have millions of square feet developed."

The chamber is located in the south end of HBMS's Trout Lake mine. From the
north end, the company continues to haul out 3,000 tonnes of copper and
zinc ore every day - a money-losing payload with commodity prices plumbing
new depths thanks to the slowdown in the North American economy.

HBMS hasn't laid off any of its 1,900 workers, but the Flin Flon area lives
with the uncertainty of a one-industry town.

The 10 local jobs created by PPS won't allay that uncertainty. But
according to Mayor Dennis Ballard, Flin Flon has to take diversification
where it can get it.

"Those people who have never lived in a mining town don't know how
important it is. Our fortunes rise and fall with the metal prices. We're
always on the bubble."