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US Surgeon General advises against marijuana use in pregnant women, adolescents

The U.S. Surgeon General said marijuana should not be used by pregnant women and adolescents, as the substance could damage the developing brain.

"There is a false perception that marijuana is not as harmful as other drugs," Surgeon General Jerome Adams said in the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services' Aug. 29 release. "I want to be very clear — no amount of marijuana use during pregnancy or adolescence is known to be safe."

According to the HHS, marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug in the U.S. and is also the most often used illicit drug by pregnant women.

Marijuana, or cannabis, is a Schedule I substance as determined by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, meaning it poses risk of abuse and has no acceptable medical use.

Individuals aged 12 to 17 years old who use marijuana frequently appeared to be more at risk for opioid use, heavy alcohol use and major depressive episodes, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health reported. The survey also showed that 29% more young adults aged 18 to 25 started using marijuana in 2017.

"This historic Surgeon General's advisory is focused on the risks marijuana poses for these populations, which have been well-established by scientific evidence," HHS Secretary Alex Azar said in the release.

Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, a well-known component of marijuana due to its psychoactive effects, can produce potentially harmful effects such as intoxication and memory loss, the HHS said. Additionally, newer strains of marijuana may be more potent and cause anxiety, agitation, paranoia and psychosis.

"The Trump administration is committed to fighting substance abuse of all kinds, and that means continuing research, education, and prevention efforts around the risks of marijuana use," Azar said.

The DEA recently announced that it has more than doubled production quotas for marijuana over the past two years for federally approved research projects. The DEA is reviewing applications from manufacturers of marijuana intended for research, the agency said Aug. 26.

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