CUT HAS NO IMPACT ON POT MINE

The Harper government's axing of the federal medical marijuana
research program won't impact Flin Flon's famous grow op.

Ottawa put the $4-million research program on the chopping block last
week as part of a $1-billion package of spending cuts.

"The bottom line is that the medical marijuana research program (is)
completely separate from what we're doing," said Brent Zettl,
president of Prairie Plant Systems, which produces medicinal pot for
the government in an abandoned Trout Lake mine.

Health Canada, which awarded Zettl's company the pot contract, concurred.

"We do not anticipate any effect on the contract with Prairie Plant
Systems in regard to the level of production," said spokesperson
Jason Bouzanis.

Zettl said the terminated research program had made grants available
to clinical researchers studying medicinal uses of marijuana.

The pot grown just outside Flin Flon is distributed to authorized
patients across Canada as well as researchers at Montreal's McGill University.

The university's COMPASS study aims to determine the benefits
marijuana may have on chronic pain sufferers. Zettl said funding for
the study has already been set aside.

The medical marijuana research program was among a number of programs
the Conservative government believed was not worth the money.

While cutting the program pleased some, others were left shaking their heads.

"There are still many unknowns about the medical benefits of
marijuana use. Ending research grants will put us back in the dark
ages," Dr. Helen Hays of the University of Alberta told The Edmonton Sun.