OTTAWA, ON. (NEWS 1130) – The head of one of the country’s top medical publications is pushing federal politicians to vote against the bill that will legalize recreational marijuana in Canada by next year.
An editorial in the Canadian Medical Journal Association warns the new pot law will put the health of young people in jeopardy.
“Simply put, cannabis should not be used by young people,” writes the journal’s Editor-in-Chief Dr. Diane Kelsall. “It is toxic to neurons, and regular use of marijuana can actually change their developing brains.”
Kelsall adds that even though the legislation is supposed to protect public health and safety, sections of the act appear to be “starkly at odds with this objective,” particularly for young people.
Bill C-45 is set to legalize recreational marijuana by July of next year for people 18 and over with no limits on potency.
The journal takes the position that since the human brain keeps developing until the age of 25, Canada’s pot laws should restrict the sale and use of marijuana for people under the age of 21.
The Canadian Paediatric Society warns marijuana use by young people is strongly linked to “cannabis dependence and other substance use disorders; the initiation and maintenance of tobacco smoking; an increased presence of mental illness, including depression, anxiety and psychosis; impaired neurological development and cognitive decline.” It also says a young person’s performance in school will drop and their overall lifetime achievement.
“The government appears to be hastening to deliver on a campaign promise without being careful enough about the health impacts of policy,” adds Dr. Kelsall. “It’s not good enough to say that provinces and territories can set more stringent rules if they wish. If Parliament truly cares about the public health and safety of Canadians, especially our youth, this bill will not pass.”
Under Bill C-45 Adults over 18 would be allowed to possess up to 30 grams of dried cannabis or its equivalent in public, share up to 30 grams of dried cannabis with other adults and buy cannabis or cannabis oil from a provincially regulated retailer. They would also be permitted to grow up to four plants per resident for personal use, as well as make legal cannabis-containing products at home.
The government aims to establish “significant penalties” for those who engage young Canadians in “cannabis-related offences” and a “zero-tolerance approach” to drug-impaired driving, along with a “robust” public awareness campaign.