Legal marijuana farm in jeopardy (video)

An abandoned mine in a town called Flin Flon in Manitoba, Canada may lose its role as the country's only government-sanctioned marijuana farm.

Production at the mine had to be moved because the facility was not big enough, and a deal to expand it had not been worked out, according to operator Prairie Plant System.

The mine had been producing pot for nearly a decade, since Canada began allowing patients legal access to marijuana for medical reasons such as controlling pain.

The switch to another location prompted media reports that the operation had gone up in smoke, but Prairie Plants Chief Executive Brent Zetti said those reports were premature.

Zetti still hopes to strike a deal with mine owner HudBay Minerals Inc.   "It may be or it may not be closed," said Zetti.

The company, which raises plants for pharmaceutical use, has other operations in Canada.  Its contract to supply pot to Health Canada for sale to authorized medical users runs for another 2-1/2 years.

Some marijuana activists have panned the quality of pot from the Flin Flon facility, saying many medical users simply grow their own or buy from sources other than the government.  Check out activist Michelle Rainey's rant:

Authorized medical marijuana users are allowed to legally grow their own marijuana in Canada.

While medical marijuana's use is controversial, some research has show has shown the drug to be effective in alleviating symptoms of debilitating diseases such as cancer and multiple sclerosis.

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