Amid ongoing debate about the legalization of marijuana and its use for medical purposes, an assembly of doctors has announced that smoking any kind of plant is bad for the lungs.
The head of the Canadian Medical Association, Louis Hugo Francescutti told delegates at its general council meeting that smoking has a detrimental effect on the lungs’ “natural cleaning and repair system.” He added toxic chemicals can be trapped in the lungs.
Francescutti reminded the audience that a 2008 study found marijuana fumes contain as many chemicals as tobacco smoke, but in greater concentrations. Two-thirds of delegates voted to formally oppose the smoking of plants.
Opposition Leader of the New Democratic Party, Tom Mulcair defended the use of marijuana before the same delegates, saying it was a matter of personal choice. However he stopped short of echoing a call for legalization made by Liberal Party Leader Justin Trudeau.
A public opinion survey conducted in early 2014 suggests 70 per cent of Canadians want marijuana possession to be legalized or decriminalized.
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