B-C’s former health minister is calling for more research on the effects of cannabis on opioid addiction. Terry Lake was minister in 2016 when the province declared a public health emergency over the deadly fentanyl crisis and now works at a medical marijuana company. He says there’s preliminary evidence that pot can be useful as an exit drug from harder substances — but adds more research must be done and it’s important for pot companies not to over-promise. A peer-reviewed study in 2014 found that U-S states with legal cannabis had an opioid death rate that was 25 per cent lower than states where cannabis was illegal.