General surgeon advises pregnant women and youth not to use marijuana

On Thursday, the surgeon general issued a warning warning young people and pregnant women against marijuana use, noting that this could harm brain development.

HHS officials said the best available science suggests that no amount of marijuana consumed during pregnancy or in young people is safe. The opinion of Surgeon General Jerome Adams is the first one his firm has published on marijuana since 1982, and comes at a time when more and more states are legalizing drugs for recreational or medical purposes.

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"We need to be clear: some states' laws on marijuana may have changed, but not science or federal laws," said HAS general secretary Alex Azar.

In 2017, about 9.2 million people aged 12 to 25 reported using marijuana in the last month, according to HHS. The department found that high school students' perceptions of marijuana as harmful have declined over the past decade.

Cannabis use among pregnant women has more than doubled in the last 15 years, from 3.4% to 7%, and consumption is more common in the first quarter, according to data from the survey. national report on drug use and health.

Federal scientists who conducted the study said that cannabis use during pregnancy had been associated with effects on fetal growth, such as low birth weight, and could be more likely for people who use marijuana often during pregnancy, especially in the first and second trimesters. They said in the study that more research was needed.

Azar said that HHS has been "engaged" in more research "because one of the dangers is that we still do not know all the risks". HHS has had discussions with the DOJ and the DEA on how to increase the volume of research, he said.

HHS is also launching a digital public awareness campaign with US $ 100,000 Trump President Donald Trump, officials said.