The American Academy of Pediatrics has reaffirmed its opposition to legalizing marijuana, due to the potentially harmful effects the drug may have on children an adolescents.
While support for researching the effects of medical marijuana has grown considerably in recent years, the AAP maintains its stance that making marijuana more accessible and more socially acceptable for adults will only increase access to teens.
According to the Academy, marijuana can have serious adverse effects — such as impaired memory and concentration, altered motor control and coordination, altered judgment, psychological problems, poor lung health and heightened risk for drug dependency —on the young, developing brains and bodies of children and teens
The AAP also opposes medical marijuana outside of the Food and Drug Administration-approved pharmaceutical products.
Despite its opposition to legalizing marijuana for recreational or medical purposes, the AAP does recommend marijuana be decriminalized so that marijuana-related offenses are met with lesser criminal charges or civil penalties. The organization also encourages efforts to prevent marijuana use and promote treatment of adolescents with abuse problems.
The AAP also allows for some exceptions to be made for compassionate in the cases of children with debilitating or life-limiting diseases since many can't wait for the results of lengthy studies.
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