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Morgan Smith
The Consortium for Early Intervention in Psychosis is voicing
concerns about the proposed legal smoking age of 18, once marijuana is
legalized.
Dr Phil Tibbo is Consortium Chair.
He tells the Alberta Morning News that studies show regular cannabis use can have permanent effects on adolescents’ developing brains, even into their early or mid-twenties.
“On various cognitive functions such as attention and memory, and other functions.” said Tibbo. “And to the extreme which is what we see in that there is a risk there of developing more major mental illnesses such as psychosis.”
And Tibbo said, alcohol exacerbates that effect.
“Again this was regular use. Regular use of cannabis with regular use of alcohol during that developmental time-period, there’s increased risk on poor outcomes there than any one alone.”
The Consortium, and several other medical groups, recommend the legal age should be 21 instead of 18. But Tibbo admits that research data is a bit limited, since most studies focus on regular, rather than occasional cannabis use.
Dr Phil Tibbo is Consortium Chair.
He tells the Alberta Morning News that studies show regular cannabis use can have permanent effects on adolescents’ developing brains, even into their early or mid-twenties.
“On various cognitive functions such as attention and memory, and other functions.” said Tibbo. “And to the extreme which is what we see in that there is a risk there of developing more major mental illnesses such as psychosis.”
And Tibbo said, alcohol exacerbates that effect.
“Again this was regular use. Regular use of cannabis with regular use of alcohol during that developmental time-period, there’s increased risk on poor outcomes there than any one alone.”
The Consortium, and several other medical groups, recommend the legal age should be 21 instead of 18. But Tibbo admits that research data is a bit limited, since most studies focus on regular, rather than occasional cannabis use.
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