As many Canadian politicians seem to be revealing they have smoked pot in the past, it is no wonder that pot is making the headlines across the country. Whether it’s MP Justin Trudeau, or Toronto’s mayor Rob Ford, it seems that our leaders are not ashamed of their recreational use of this drug. While our Prime-Minister Stephen Harper told journalists that he has never smoked pot due to health concerns, that didn’t stop him from attacking one of his opponents (Justin Trudeau) who admits using pot even after becoming a member of parliament. While it’s all well and good that our politicians seem to be “loosening” up their stance on marijuana, it is important to remember that Canada’s youth are watching and listening, especially after recent studies conducted at Université de Montréal and New York’s Icahn School of Medicine.
Dr. Didier Jutras-Aswad, with the Université de Montréal’s psychiatry department, is a co-author of the review, which was published this month in the journal Neuropharmacology. He says that in adolescence, the brain is still fine-tuning how different areas, such as learning and memory, interact and it appears that marijuana use alters that process.
While Stephen Harper may think that Justin Trudeau “displayed poor judgment” by smoking pot after becoming an MP, it certainly seems to have sparked the debate over the safety issues as well as the legal ones surrounding marijuana use. Even Canada’s police chiefs have weighed in on the discussion by suggesting that possession of pot be a ticketed offense, instead of laying down hefty criminal charges. While Trudeau is in favor of legalizing pot, which in his view would allow the government to regulate the drug and ultimately keep it away from Canada’s youth, the PM believes that Trudeau is just “promoting marijuana use.”
Both the liberals and conservatives have spoken out on the issue, and both have shown their concerns for the safety of Canadian children and teens, but the two parties must consult the experts who study this issue like Dr. Didier. It would be unwise for any party to push forward a pot “agenda” without all the information, medical or otherwise, at their disposal.
For more information: Justin Trudeau’s pot stance sparks sharp words from Harper.