HHS Warns Against Marijuana Use By Young People

Politico reports:

The surgeon general Thursday issued an advisory cautioning young people and pregnant people against using marijuana, warning it poses risks to developing brains.

HHS officials said the best science available suggests no amount of marijuana use during pregnancy or for youth is known to be safe. Surgeon General Jerome Adams’ advisory was the first his office issued on marijuana since 1982, and it comes as more states legalize the drug for recreational or medical use.

“We need to be clear: Some states’ laws on marijuana may have changed, but the science has not and federal law has not,” HHS Secretary Alex Azar said.

The Associated Press reports:

The warning comes as more than 30 states have legalized marijuana for medical purposes or personal use. Adams says the science shows marijuana is harmful to the developing brains of teenagers and to the human fetus.

The drug has also gotten stronger. Adams says, “This ain’t your mother’s marijuana.” Azar said President Donald Trump is donating part of his salary to pay for a promotional campaign to highlight the warning.

Last year Azar declared, “There really is no such thing as medical marijuana.” That earned him quite a bit of blowback from across the political spectrum.