Marijuana worse than tobacco

Don Edwards

I was a volunteer for the Lung Association for 30 years. We advocated to help smokers quit and pointed out the dangers of smoking tobacco products. I was president of the Ontario Lung Association for two years and appointed to the Canadian Lung Association for two years.

During those years, I met many doctors who pointed out the dangers of tobacco to human health.

Those same doctors told me that smoking marijuana was even more unhealthy because marijuana contained several more carcinogens (cancer-causing agents) than tobacco.

The federal government is well aware of the tremendous costs to health care of tobacco smoking and yet it is proceeding with legalizing to allow the use of marijuana by selling it openly.

The excuse is being used that the government wants to control the illegal selling of marijuana. A rather lame excuse since it can't control the illegal selling of tobacco now.

I am too old now to start a campaign to stop the smoking of marijuana but someone else will have to pick up that torch before the costs of smoking cigarettes and marijuana completely overwhelm the health system and everyone gets hurt by those costs.