Yeast fermentation technique allows researchers to isolate cannabinoids for treatment of different diseases.

New medical marijuana products produced by yeast could soon be on the market, the co-founder of a biotech company says. That could potentially lead to a wider range of cannabinoid-based drugs that proponents say could be more effective for treating certain medical conditions than medical marijuana itself.

Cannabinoids are chemical compounds found in marijuana. Kevin Chen's Montreal-based company,  Hyasynth, has successfully made the cannabinoid  cannabigerol (CBG) from genetically engineered yeast, and he says this could be a precursor to other major and minor  cannabinoids.

Anti-drug activists think that a few puffs on a joint will turn you into a red-eyed, unemployed psychopath – probably for life.

But is marijuana actually that bad for you?

With several American states having decriminalised the herb for personal use, scientists have suddenly had the chance to see what cannabis actually does on a mass scale.

And guess what? Cannabis actually has some VERY surprising health benefits. Here’s a few.

1) Smoking weed makes you thinner – or at least less likely to be obese

Quebec’s finance minister is clarifying his comments about refusing to help with the federal government’s plan to legalize and regulate marijuana in Canada.

Carlos Leitao said Thursday his government wanted nothing to do with selling marijuana and that Ottawa should figure out on its own how to distribute pot on Quebec territory if and when it becomes legal.

Leitao took to Facebook later in the day to clarify his remarks.

He wrote that discussions about the distribution of marijuana are premature and the federal government still needs to create legislation to legalize and regulate the drug.

Quebec wants nothing to do with selling marijuana, Finance Minister Carlos Leitao said Thursday, adding Ottawa can’t force the province to help set up a distribution network if and when pot is legalized.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said his government will legalize and strictly regulate marijuana and will work with local authorities to come up with distribution methods, which could vary from province to province.

Trudeau’s comments sparked suggestions that pot could be sold out of government-run liquor stores.

Even the union representing employees of Quebec’s liquor authority had said it was favourable to the idea.

Leitao, however, said he has “no plan, no idea, no intention of commercializing (marijuana).

Cannabis can be used to treat more than 40 different medical conditions

Montreal’s first medical cannabis clinic, which opened in 2014 at its location on Amherst Street, provides a clean, modern environment where patients can get prescriptions and support in moving away from pharmaceutical drugs. Two glass cases stand in the window, showing off a variety of vaporizers of all shapes and sizes.

Medical marijuana is expected to impact the future of health and affect pharmaceutical companies.

Gonzo Nieto, the co-chairman of the grassroots organization Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy (CSSDP), believes marijuana will be less accessible to minors once it's regulated.

CBC Daybreak spoke to Nieto about the impact of legal cannabis on youth as part of its series, Montreal 420.

Here are some of the key points Nieto addressed in the interview. Nieto's responses have been edited, for clarity.

On availability and use by youth

Former drug squad officer says pot represents 50 per cent of illegal dealings the city

In the final instalment of Daybreak's "Montreal 420" series, a retired Montreal police officer discusses how legalization could change the city's illicit drug trade.

​Philippe Paul spent 28 years with the Montreal Police force, most of that working on the drug and anti-gang squad.

Paul is also an expert witness in narcotics trafficking cases and author of the book Coupable d'etre policier.

Here are key excerpts of his interview with Daybreak host Mike Finnerty.

When I asked Andy Nulman about the chances of legalized marijuana boosting tourism in Montreal, I had no idea that many years ago he'd written a script for a film called O Cannabis, about Canada legalizing pot and becoming "the new Saudia Arabia."

In the script, "farmers out in the Beauce and Manitoba and Saskatchewan become the new oil sheikhs, and (Canada) becomes this destination for stoners worldwide," Nulman said.

The co-founder of Just For Laughs and chief attention-grabber for 375MTL, the Society for the Celebrations of Montréal's 375th Anniversary, Nulman says he has not touched drugs in 40 years, and he's a vehement non-smoker. However, he has long considered the ripple effects of marijuana legalization.

Pot is big business, and local entrepreneurs are hoping to cash in. 

The Trudeau government has pledged to legalize and regulate access to marijuana, and this week on CBC Montreal's Daybreak and at CBC.ca, we've been exploring the ways in which legalization will change the province. 

On Wednesday, Daybreak spoke to two growers — Sebastien St-Louis of The Hydropothecary and Dany Lefebvre of Vert Médical —​ on the changes to come.

• MARIJUANA IN MONTREAL

St-Louis is the founder of Quebec's only licensed producer of medical marijuana.

Here are excerpts of his interview with Mike Finnerty: 

Colorado state representative Jonathan Singer says tax revenue helps fund schools

Some American states have already legalized marijuana and it could soon be Canada's turn.

Cannabis sales for recreational purposes were made legal in Colorado in January 2014. In Canada, the new Liberal government is promising it within the next two years.

For the second part of CBC Daybreak's Montreal 420 series, we spoke to Jonathan Singer, who represents House District 11 in the Colorado state legislature.

Here are key excerpts of that interview with Singer: