The celebration over a new contract with Health Canada worth nearly $17 million didn't last long at Prairie Plant Systems Inc. (PPS) last week.
Now, the Saskatoon company -- the only federally licensed medical marijuana producer in Canada -- must get to work hiring new staff and expanding its secret growing facility to accommodate the contract.
It's a project the biotechnology company is happy to have, the company's president and CEO Brent Zettl said Wednesday.
"We envision this as just a continuation of our business plan along with becoming a manufacturer of pharmaceuticals using plants," Zettl said.
In addition to its CanniMed medical marijuana business, which drives between 60 and 65 per cent of its revenue, the company is working toward developing therapeutic enzymes using plants.
PPS also has a bio products division, which sells fruit plants and seed potatoes to farmers, and an environmental division, which helps mining companies reclaim worksites.
The new contract with Health Canada, which started earlier this month and runs through 2014, will see the company hire about 15 more staff members and double its CanniMed capacity, Zettl said. Under federal regulations, the CEO is unable to disclose the current capacity of the business or its location.
Zettl did say, however, the product is grown using a peat moss-based soil mix and an innovative irrigation system. No chemicals are used during the process.
The company was awarded the contract after responding to a request for proposals set out by the federal body in April 2009. PPS provides cannabis to patients authorized by Health Canada.
"It basically was a request to make sure there was a sufficient supply for the Canadians that are licensable and are requiring access to the federal source," Zettl said. Running parallel to the new contract is a second, older contract that expires in October 2011, he added.
PPS was awarded the new contract after its proposal was chosen by a committee of experts, Health Canada spokesperson Gary Holub said in a statement to The StarPhoenix. The contract, he said, encompasses development, production and distribution of dried marijuana and marijuana seeds.
"This contract will allow the government of Canada to continue to provide reasonable access to a legal source of dried marijuana for medical purposes while the government of Canada currently considers longer-term options for reform of the Marijuana Medical Access Program," Holub wrote.
He said the review of the program is focusing on three objectives: Public health, safety and security; reasonable access to marijuana for medical purposes; and examining overall costs to the government.
Meanwhile, after receiving feedback from patients who feel the single strain of cannabis grown by PPS doesn't work for everyone, the company plans to suggest to Health Canada it approve another strain of marijuana for medical use, Zettl said.
"From our standpoint what we hope is that they consider having other strains," he said.
"We see the value that that could bring to the patient population."
The company employs about 50 people.
NewsHawk: Ganjarden: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: The StarPhoenix
Author: Cassandra Kyle
Contact: The StarPhoenix
Copyright: 2010 The StarPhoenix
Website: Plant company looks to grow
Now, the Saskatoon company -- the only federally licensed medical marijuana producer in Canada -- must get to work hiring new staff and expanding its secret growing facility to accommodate the contract.
It's a project the biotechnology company is happy to have, the company's president and CEO Brent Zettl said Wednesday.
"We envision this as just a continuation of our business plan along with becoming a manufacturer of pharmaceuticals using plants," Zettl said.
In addition to its CanniMed medical marijuana business, which drives between 60 and 65 per cent of its revenue, the company is working toward developing therapeutic enzymes using plants.
PPS also has a bio products division, which sells fruit plants and seed potatoes to farmers, and an environmental division, which helps mining companies reclaim worksites.
The new contract with Health Canada, which started earlier this month and runs through 2014, will see the company hire about 15 more staff members and double its CanniMed capacity, Zettl said. Under federal regulations, the CEO is unable to disclose the current capacity of the business or its location.
Zettl did say, however, the product is grown using a peat moss-based soil mix and an innovative irrigation system. No chemicals are used during the process.
The company was awarded the contract after responding to a request for proposals set out by the federal body in April 2009. PPS provides cannabis to patients authorized by Health Canada.
"It basically was a request to make sure there was a sufficient supply for the Canadians that are licensable and are requiring access to the federal source," Zettl said. Running parallel to the new contract is a second, older contract that expires in October 2011, he added.
PPS was awarded the new contract after its proposal was chosen by a committee of experts, Health Canada spokesperson Gary Holub said in a statement to The StarPhoenix. The contract, he said, encompasses development, production and distribution of dried marijuana and marijuana seeds.
"This contract will allow the government of Canada to continue to provide reasonable access to a legal source of dried marijuana for medical purposes while the government of Canada currently considers longer-term options for reform of the Marijuana Medical Access Program," Holub wrote.
He said the review of the program is focusing on three objectives: Public health, safety and security; reasonable access to marijuana for medical purposes; and examining overall costs to the government.
Meanwhile, after receiving feedback from patients who feel the single strain of cannabis grown by PPS doesn't work for everyone, the company plans to suggest to Health Canada it approve another strain of marijuana for medical use, Zettl said.
"From our standpoint what we hope is that they consider having other strains," he said.
"We see the value that that could bring to the patient population."
The company employs about 50 people.
NewsHawk: Ganjarden: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: The StarPhoenix
Author: Cassandra Kyle
Contact: The StarPhoenix
Copyright: 2010 The StarPhoenix
Website: Plant company looks to grow
