cannabisnews.com: Feds Urged To Try Alberta Pot





Feds Urged To Try Alberta Pot
Posted by FoM on May 10, 2000 at 07:30:45 PT
Provincial Greenhouse Could Grow the Herb
Source: Edmonton Sun
Forget B.C. Bud, Quebec Gold or Winnipeg Wheelchair Weed - what the feds need is a toke of some Alberta government smoke, says an Edmonton greenhouse crop specialist. Alberta Agriculture's Crop Diversification Centre greenhouse in Edmonton could easily supply the feds with pot, said Dr. Mohyuddin Mirza, who researches medicinal plants. 
"I'm going to talk to some key people and see whether the federal government will consider such a thing," Mirza said. Public Works and Government Services Canada called for proposals on Friday from those interested in supplying marijuana for Health Canada research into its medicinal benefits. The provincially funded Edmonton centre already produces industrial hemp and experiments with medicinal plants, said Mirza. "We could set up a system very quickly. It doesn't take much to set up hydroponic lights and equipment," said Mirza, noting the centre already has the expertise for such a venture. He's experimenting with echinacea, gotukola and burdock, and would be delighted to add marijuana to the list. "As a medicinal plant researcher, I'm interested," said Mirza. "My feeling is that we have quite a good greenhouse industry in Alberta. If the federal government approaches the greenhouse industry, high-quality marijuana could be grown." Health Canada needs a marijuana producer to supply a reliable pot stock for clinical trials designed to scientifically study what is now only anecdotal evidence of marijuana's health benefits, said department spokesman Jeffrey Pender. "Because it's going to be used for clinical trials, it needs to be research-grade. It needs to be entirely consistent in its THC levels. It needs to be completely free of any contamination." No problem, said Mirza. "In a protected environment, in a greenhouse situation, we could control the growth of the plant and, this way, we could control the active ingredient - the THC." Health Canada has granted permission to 37 people, and denied one application, to smoke marijuana as medicine, said Pender. The department is examining applications from about 200 people across Canada applying for the Criminal Code exemption, he said. The government has not kept track of which applicants are from Alberta. Published: Wednesday, May 10, 2000 By Andrea Wiebe, Edmonton SunCopyright © 2000, Canoe Limited Partnership. Related Articles:Politics is Going to Pot for Cannabis Crusader http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread5671.shtmlB.C. To Ottawa: This Bud's for Youhttp://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread5634.shtmlLiberals Out To Hire Marijuana Merchanthttp://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread5633.shtmlMJ Growers Sought, Experienced Need Not Apply http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread5621.shtml 
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