Update:

Medical and public health organizations today released a new set of guidelines aimed at lowering the health risks of cannabis use as it becomes legal in just over a year from now.

The guidelines were put together by the Canadian Medical Association, the Canadian Public Health Association and the Centre for Addiction and Mental health.

The first suggestion is abstinence, but medical experts say if you are going to use cannabis, the guideline is to avoid it before the age of 21.

“Somewhere between a quarter and a third of youth, meaning young people between 15 and 24 are active cannabis users, among the highest rates in the world' said Dr. Benedikt Fischer, from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.

Dr. Laurent Marcoux, Canadian Medical Association agrees.

“If you are young, the brain is not mature. So the marijuana, the thc will make damage in your brain. Sometimes it's a permanent damage, sometimes it's a bigger damage like psychosis. Sometimes it's a lighter damage, but damage is damage.” said Marcoux.

Also under the guidelines, the suggestion is to avoid smoking the drug, and instead, using edible cannabis products.

A North Bay marijuana accessory store owner says that means users will have to be careful with dosages.

“People have to really nail down their dosages and how they use edibles, because it is a little bit longer lasting, and has a lag time as far as activating.” said David Clark, from Green Kingdom Hydroponics.

The policy guidelines released today also stress the need to avoid driving while using cannabis, and also, avoiding daily use.

“This is part of the continuum of interventions that legalization needs to facilitate and provide.” said Dr. Fischer.

Dr. Fischer says that although some of these guidelines may appear as common sense, it's still important to set recommendations for those who will be using cannabis recreationally.

Original story:

Medical and public health organizations are releasing a new set of guidelines today aimed at lowering the health risks of cannabis use.

Some of the recommendations include encouraging young people not to start using pot. Studies have shown young people are more vulnerable to psychological and behavioural problems.

Other recommendations include reducing the amount of cannabis use, and try to avoid smoking it by choosing lower-risk cannabis products.

The guidelines have been endorsed by several major medical groups, including the Canadian Medical Association.