Chemists Alexis St-Gelais, Laurie Caron, and Hubert Marceau have a new specialty: the analysis of therapeutic marijuana. It has been a few months since their laboratory in Jonquière, PhytoChemia, got the certifications from Health Canada under the regulations on the therapeutic use of cannabis. PhytoChemia is the only laboratory to perform such analyzes in Quebec.

PhytoChemia, whose premises are located on the St. Francis Boulevard Jonquière, specializes in the standardization and control of the chemical quality of natural medicinal products, cosmetics or food. It was in 2013 that the three chemists applied for a license from Health Canada. It took almost a year for the application to be accepted.

The faded sign off a West Quebec road still points to an old garden centre.

But the greenhouses at the end of the peninsula in the Masson-Angers neighbourhood of Gatineau no longer grows the types of plants your average gardener buys in spring.

The former Botanix-Aux Jardins de La Pointe now houses the Hydropothecary, a small-but-growing medical marijuana production plant. It’s the first of its kind in Quebec.

``We get at least two or three cars showing up a day, saying, where do we get our flowers?” said Adam Miron, who co-founded the company with his brother-in-law Sébastien St-Louis.

Two young entrepreneurs are confident their business plan for a medical marijuana facility, set to launch within weeks in Masson, Que. will bring them success, and more importantly, relief to sufferers across the country.

Sebastien St-Louis and Adam Miron, both 31, are brothers-in-law and co-founders of the Hydropothecary -- a facility that will soon distribute medical marijuana throughout Canada.

"Like all good Canadian companies, this was an idea that was born around a campfire at a cottage," Miron told the Sun.

The concept has come a long way since it was first envisioned in July 2013, between the pair and childhood friend, Max Cyr who now serves as customer service manager for the company.

A Gatineau-based company is the newest player in Canada's medical marijuana market. Hydropothecary is licensed to grow the plants; now it's hoping within weeks to get the green light from Health Canada to start selling it. The facility is on an 80-acre farm along the Outaouais River in Gatineau.  For decades, the owner of the farm in rural Gatineau has been growing potted plants on his 80-acre farm.  Now, Louis Gagnon is focusing just on "pot". Gagnon has teamed up with two brothers-in-law, Sébastien St-Louis and Adam Miron.  Their company Hydropothecary has purchased his land to build a massive 35-thousand square foot greenhouse for medical marijuana.

Montreal police are investigating after a fire ripped through a fourplex in Lasalle overnight, leading to the discovery of 40 marijuana plants in one of the units.

The fire broke out at about 1 a.m. on the first floor of the building on John F. Kennedy Street. 

Firefighters say it quickly spread to the second floor and the roof. 

Montreal police spokesman Raphael Bergeron said cannabis was found in the building.

"They discovered a plantation," Bergeron said.

One person went to hospital with burns and another man was arrested.

In all, five people were forced from the building.

Bergeron said firefighters are still trying to determine the cause of the fire. The investigation has been handed over to police.