JOLIETTE, Que. - A Quebec man with a medicinal marijuana permit has been convicted on cannabis-related charges.

Yvan Ferland, 50, faced cannabis production and possession charges after police discovered 45 kilograms of pot at his home in December 2007.

While he had a Health Canada permit that allowed him to cultivate cannabis for therapeutic purposes, the amount far exceeded the five-kilogram limit stipulated in his licence.

He admitted he surpassed the limit but says he followed government recommendations to conserve what he didn't consume and turn it into compost.

He insists he never sold drugs to anyone and produced the drug strictly for his own medical needs.

The former bush pilot told jurors that cannabis was the only remedy to alleviate the back pain he's suffered since a crash in 2001.