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Pediatricians say no to cannabis

Pediatricians say no to cannabis

The American Academy of Pediatrics has issued a policy statement that it opposes the legalisation of cannabis.

The academy acknowledges the US Drug Enforcement Agency classification of cannabis as a schedule 1 drug because it has high potential for abuse, has no currently accepted medical use and is unsafe.

The negative effects of cannabis are on short term memory, concentration, attention span, motivation, problem solving, coordination, judgment, reaction time, tracking ability, death and accidental injury.

Pediatricians treat children and adolescents for medical conditions and the Academy acknowledges that cannabis is the most used illicit drug in the U.S.A.

Parents look to Pediatricians to give them experienced advice on the effects of cannabis on their children.

The Academy supports only rigorous scientific medical research regarding the use of cannabinoids for the relief of medical symptoms.

(Source: Pediatrics, 6 June 2004)

DRUG ADVISORY COUNCIL COMMENTS-

This is a significant statement by health professionals dealing with the health effects of those most likely to use cannabis.

Australia must apply rigorous scientific research to any extract of the THC in cannabis and not accept the cocktail of chemicals in THC known to cause cancer, mental illness and impair the human immune system.

Australia must reduce the number of young people that used illicit drugs in the last 12 months from the present level of 31 per cent to worlds best practice of 3 per cent.