Pubdate: Wed, 16 Aug 2017
Source: Prince George Citizen (CN BC)
Copyright: 2017 Prince George Citizen
Contact:  http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/350
Author: Michael O'Malley
Page: 7

POT STANCE OFF-BASE

I am disappointed and alarmed at the lack of balance in the editor's
recent editorial on marijuana in the Citizen. He ignores the science
that has clearly documented the neurotoxic effects of marijuana in the
developing brain of the teenager.

Having worked here in Prince George as a family doctor for 31 years
and since then for nine years as a G.P. psychiatrist I see the
destruction that this drug is responsible for when it sparks psychoses
in some individuals. The incidence of this condition will rise with
legalization of this drug. This rise in the incidence of psychosis has
already been documented by some of the states in the U.S., who rushed
to legalization of marijuana.

We have only relatively recently managed to add warnings to the
packages of cigarettes about the health hazards of inhaling the 4,000
chemicals in every puff. The editor's comments seem irresponsible to
me in that they sound like promotion of a behavior that has been
documented to double the risk of psychosis.

Michael O'Malley

Prince George
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MAP posted-by: Matt