Canadian doctors say the minimum age for smoking pot should be 25, but it will settle for 21 and there should be strict controls on amounts and potency of products sold to those under 25. The Canadian Medical Association (CMA) presented a brief to a government task force looking at the eventual legalization of marijuana for recreational use.
Doctors are concerned about pot use among the young because scientific studies show brain development continues up to 25 years and even longer. They note that used of marijuana among young people is twice that of the general population.
Younger users, bigger risk of dependence
Studies also suggest that nine per cent of users will go on to develop a dependence, but that increases to 17 per cent if they start young, said the CMA’s Dr. Jeff Blackmer to the Toronto Star newspaper.
The doctors would like to tougher rules for how much pot young people could buy and how strong it could be.
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