Marijuana is coming. If you have not already smelled it in your neighbourhood, soon, in a few months time, parents will have lost one big reason to direct their children away from marijuana, for wi no longer be illegal.  Canada is opening up the marijuana market and will lift its ban on the use of what has been known as weed.  I have to ask what our government is already smoking for they must be out of their minds.
A little research shows that Marijauna is no joke!  Doesn't the government know what is already established by science:
Marijauna

Adverse Consequences of Marijuana Use

Acute (present during intoxication)

  • Impaired short-term memory
  • Impaired attention, judgment, and other cognitive functions
  • Impaired coordination and balance
  • Increased heart rate
  • Anxiety, paranoia
  • Psychosis (uncommon)

Persistent (lasting longer than intoxication, but may not be permanent)

  • Impaired learning and coordination
  • Sleep problems

Long-term (cumulative effects of repeated use)

  • Potential for marijuana addiction
  • Impairments in learning and memory with potential loss of IQ*
  • Increased risk of chronic cough, bronchitis
  • Increased risk of other drug and alcohol use disorders
  • Increased risk of schizophrenia in people with genetic vulnerability**
*Loss of IQ among individuals with persistent marijuana use disorder who began using heavily during adolescence
**These are often reported co-occurring symptoms/disorders with chronic marijuana use. However, research has not yet determined whether marijuana is causal or just associated with these mental problems.
Inconsistent and modest associations have been reported between marijuana use and suicidal thoughts and attempted suicide among teens.66,67 Marijuana has also been associated with an amotivational syndrome, defined as a diminished or absent drive to engage in typically rewarding activities. Because of the role of the endocannabinoid system in regulating mood and reward, it has been hypothesized that brain changes resulting from early use of marijuana may underlie these associations, but more research is needed to verify that such links exist and better understand them.

What are marijuana's effects on lung health?   info taken from National Institute on Drug Abuse on USA

Like tobacco smoke, marijuana smoke is an irritant to the throat and lungs and can cause a heavy cough during use. It also contains levels of volatile chemicals and tar that are similar to tobacco smoke, raising concerns about risk for cancer and lung disease.68
Marijuana smoking is associated with large airway inflammation, increased airway resistance, and lung hyperinflation, and those who smoke marijuana regularly report more symptoms of chronic bronchitis than those who do not smoke.68,69 One study found that people who frequently smoke marijuana had more outpatient medical visits for respiratory problems than those who do not smoke.70 Some case studies have suggested that, because of THC’s immune-suppressing effects, smoking marijuana might increase susceptibility to lung infections, such as pneumonia, in people with immune deficiencies; however, a large AIDS cohort study did not confirm such an association.68 Smoking marijuana may also reduce the respiratory system’s immune response, increasing the likelihood of the person acquiring respiratory infections, including pneumonia.69 Animal and human studies have not found that marijuana increases risk for emphysema.68
Whether smoking marijuana causes lung cancer, as cigarette smoking does, remains an open question.68,71 Marijuana smoke contains carcinogenic combustion products, including about 50 percent more benzoprene and 75 percent more benzanthracene (and more phenols, vinyl chlorides, nitrosamines, reactive oxygen species) than cigarette smoke.68Because of how it is typically smoked (deeper inhale, held for longer), marijuana smoking leads to four times the deposition of tar compared to cigarette smoking.72 However, while a few small, uncontrolled studies have suggested that heavy, regular marijuana smoking could increase risk for respiratory cancers, well-designed population studies have failed to find an increased risk of lung cancer associated with marijuana use.68
One complexity in comparing the lung-health risks of marijuana and tobacco concerns the very different ways the two substances are used. While people who smoke marijuana often inhale more deeply and hold the smoke in their lungs for a longer duration than is typical with cigarettes, marijuana’s effects last longer, so people who use marijuana may smoke less frequently than those who smoke cigarettes.
Additionally, the fact that many people use both marijuana and tobacco makes determining marijuana’s precise contribution to lung cancer risk, if any, difficult to establish. Cell culture and animal studies have also suggested THC and CBD may have antitumor effects, and this has been proposed as one reason why stronger expected associations are not seen between marijuana use and lung cancer, but more research is needed on this question.68
Director's letter on site for National Institute on Drug Abuse in United States.
"Changes in marijuana policies across states legalizing marijuana for medical and/or recreational use suggest that marijuana is gaining greater acceptance in our society. Thus, it is particularly important for people to understand what is known about both the adverse health effects and the potential therapeutic benefits linked to marijuana.
Because marijuana impairs short-term memory and judgment and distorts perception, it can impair performance in school or at work and make it dangerous to drive. It also affects brain systems that are still maturing through young adulthood, so regular use by teens may have negative and long-lasting effects on their cognitive development, putting them at a competitive disadvantage and possibly interfering with their well-being in other ways. Also, contrary to popular belief, marijuana can be addictive, and its use during adolescence may make other forms of problem use or addiction more likely.
Whether smoking or otherwise consuming marijuana has therapeutic benefits that outweigh its health risks is still an open question that science has not resolved. Although many states now permit dispensing marijuana for medicinal purposes and there is mounting anecdotal evidence for the efficacy of marijuana-derived compounds, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not approved "medical marijuana." However, safe medicines based on cannabinoid chemicals derived from the marijuana plant have been available for decades and more are being developed."
Nora D. Volkow, M.D.
Director
National Institute on Drug Abuse
Have Canadians lost their minds? Knowing the societal harm this will cause, our government led by our prime minister, Justin Trudeau, is acting like a pied piper leading the citizens of our country to ruin.

Addiction  taken from site www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/substance-abuse

"Contrary to popular belief, people can become addicted to cannabis. Individuals who use cannabis can develop a cannabis use disorder, which at its extreme can result in addiction.
Continued, frequent and heavy cannabis use can cause physical dependency and addiction.
Research has shown that THC in cannabis causes an increase in levels of dopamine, the pleasure chemical, in the brain. This motivates people to keep using it.
Addiction can develop at any age but youth are especially vulnerable as their brains are still developing.
Some people are also more prone to becoming addicted than others. It's estimated that 1 in 11 (9%) cannabis users will develop an addiction to it. This statistic rises to about 1 in 6 (17%) for people who started using cannabis as a teenager. If a person smokes cannabis daily, the risk of addiction is 25% to 50%.
Problematic cannabis use can include some or all of the following behaviours:
  • failing to fulfill major duties at work, school or home
  • giving up important social, occupational or recreational activities because of cannabis use
  • consuming it often and in larger amounts or over a longer period than they intended
  • being unable to cut down on or control cannabis use
People who display most or all of these behaviours over a 12-month period may have cannabis addiction.
Some people can develop a tolerance to the effects of cannabis. Tolerance is characterized by a need for a larger dose of a drug to maintain the original effects. Tolerance to some of the effects of cannabis can develop after a few doses. In some people, tolerance can eventually lead to physical dependence and/or addiction."
Surely we need to cry out to God to deliver our generation from this awful temptation, and destruction.  Especially for young people because the science is clear that the THC compound in marijuana will destroy developing minds so that they will not reach their potential. They will be damaged for life. This is irreparable damage. This, therefore, is a disaster for our country. It is a disaster for the rising generation of this nation, which will reap the harvest of this evil. Let us cry to God for the youth of this nation and let us stand for the truth that, "Righteousness exalteth a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people."  May the Lord be gracious and turn this nation again to righteousness.