This article was originally published on the Marijuana Patients Organization site on December 26, 2013.
We reported earlier about the State of Michigan drafting legislation, HB 660 which would allow for pharmacists to sell marijuana. And the bill’s financial backer, Prairie Plant Systems, would grow the plant and supply pharmacists from their abandoned copper mines in Michigan’s upper peninsula.
Prairie Plant Systems (a Canadian corporation) claims that the marijuana will be safe from pesticides because they will be grown deep underground, the only problem is their ‘abandoned mine’ is an EPA disaster and riddled with arsenic, mercury and other contaminants.
“There’s a need to bring this under the proper reins of appropriate manufacturing for patient safety and for public safety, ” said Brent Zettl, president and CEO of Prairie Plant Systems.
Mr. Zettl added “the unique environmental conditions of our underground chambers provide the growth conditions necessary for optimal biomass production at an accelerated rate.”
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and several other agencies indicate dangerous levels of arsenic, sulfuric acid and other contaminates still left in the abandoned mine. The town of White Pine, MI, local indian reservations and residents even received settlements from the mines operator for damages from environmental conditions.
Whether or not the contamination is contained, remediated or slowed, do we really want a Canadian company growing marijuana in an arsenic mine? My answer is ‘No’.
Sources:
http://www.umich.edu/~snre492/pmaj.html
http://www.epa.gov/osw/nonhaz/industrial/special/mining/techdocs/copper/copper4.pdf
http://kbocc.org/index/miningforum/MikeRipley.pdf
Why would they let Canadians come in and run our marijuana program. Starting to think that Governor Snyder is a Canadian, eh. First the bridge now this. Knew he was Chinese.
Keep it organic and natural and keep the Canucks out of Mi
I’ ll buy mine from people who aren’t insane about getting wealthy from contaminated weed. Corporation suck as much as Canada does.
This message needs to be sent all over… This is an attempt to undermine something GOOD, and sabotage the medicinal marijuana program. GROW YOUR OWN. DO NOT BUY THIS CRAP..
honestly I’d rather get uncured/untrimmed dirt weed from mexico before buying crap like they described here.
First, I’m Canadian. There’s nothing wrong with Canadians, or our cannabis. Period! Second, I’m against Prairie Plant Systems growing cannabis for Michigan buyers myself. They are the current suppliers of the Canadian government’s cannabis supply, and though I’ve never seen it, I’m told it’s not much better than shake, and has very little use as a medicine or otherwise. They are all about profit. And any situation where a company is growing weed in an old abandoned mine is ridiculous. I wouldn’t want arsenic anywhere near my weed. Why would I want the good people of Michigan suffering it. This company is a bad one here in Canada, and I don’t think they’ll be any better in the US. Keep them out. But maybe consider some others from up here. Or better yet. Find some good growers from Michigan to help build the economy. It’s a great growth market and the people of Michigan should be given the opportunity to invest in their own future.
The entire UP is contaminated