Frequent cannabis use can have serious consequences for youth. Some Nova Scotia doctors are concerned young people are receiving prescriptions to smoke medical marijuana, despite the effects marijuana has on the developing brain.
Currently, there are no laws in Canada regarding the age at which people can receive prescriptions for marijuana and different organizations have different recommendations.
The College of Family Physicians of Canada says cannabis is not appropriate for anyone under the age of 25, while the Canadian Paediatric Society and Health Canada both recommend cannabis not be consumed by anyone under the age of 18.
The brain isn’t fully developed until 25 and frequent cannabis use can have serious consequences for youth.
Dr. Selene Etches, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at the IWK Health Centre in Halifax, says cannabis affects a young person’s brain differently than an adult’s brain. It affects brain development and cognition, among other factors.
Sabrina Fabian – CBC News – Feb 16, 2016.
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