Pot Without Plants Is Goal of New Cannabis Fermentation Venture
- Compounds are brewed with genetically modified yeast
- Focus is on making health products that won’t get you high
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A $255 million deal to convert sugar into cannabis-chemicals is opening the door to an era of pot without plants.
Amyris Inc. already works with genetically modified yeast that excrete designer molecules to make sweeteners and skin-care products. Now it plans to use that fermentation technology to convert sugarcane syrup into the active ingredients found in marijuana, the California-based company said in a statement Tuesday. Those ingredients can be used in consumer products ranging from beverages to skin creams and deodorant.