The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Ottawa's approval of a cannabis-derived prescription spray from Britain won't cut into Flin Flon's share of the medicinal marijuana market, says the head of the grower. The green lighting of Sativex, sometimes referred to as "liquid marijuana," generated concern about a possible impact on the federal government's pot program, which relies on weed securely grown in the Trout Lake mine. But Brent Zettl, president and CEO of Prairie Plant Systems, which operates the subterranean greenhouse, believes Sativex is a positive step forward for medicinal marijuana as a whole. "I think the marketplace for marijuana-based medicines is going to be fairly large," he said from his Saskatoon office. "I think there's going to be room for more than one player, and if there is any amount of success on the part of Sativex, I think it only adds credibility to what we're doing in Flin Flon." Sativex, Zettl suggested, should not be considered direct competition because it is designed principally for people with multiple sclerosis. The Flin Flon product, meanwhile, serves a wide variety of patients, including those with AIDS and cancer. The application of the medicines also differs. Patients use the traditional method of smoking for Zettl's pot, while Sativex is sprayed under the tongue or on the inside of the cheek from a dispenser. The one concern Zettl does have about Sativex is that if it proves unsatisfactory to patients, "it will reflect not as well on the development" of the medicinal marijuana industry. At this point, however, he sees no net impact on the Flin Flon operation. What may have had some impact, at least in terms of public perception, are national newspaper reports that in recent years have questioned the quality of the underground weed. In those Canadian Press articles, some authorized users complained the product was weak, made them nauseous or was otherwise unsuitable for its intended purpose. Zettl feels those stories were driven primarily by individuals who peddle marijuana to compassion clubs, organizations in cities that sell pot to the sick. See 'Market' P.# Con't from P.# "They have taken the position of trying to, shall we say, undermine the government's product," he said. "And it's easy to see why. It's primarily because it's all about market share. They're feeling threatened by the appearance of government-produced material, and philosophically they just oppose the government having anything to do with marijuana production. "The government material is at half price. The only thing they can do is try to defame and discredit the program." Despite unfavorable comments from a few patients, Zettl said the Flin Flon weed, although not perfected, is now returned by under two per cent of patients. "So if the return rate is less than two per cent, then who's making all the complaints?" he asked.
