There is mixed local reaction to the federal government's plan to legalize the recreational use of marijuana. The drug is to become legal on July 1, 2018. Dr. Denis Fortier, vice-president of Medical Services for Southern Health, says he is concerned about the announcement because drugs like marijuana can have permanent negative effects on the developing brain up until the age of 25.

Dr. Denis Fortier"From a medical perspective, there is certainly some concern related to that. I do know that the government has struggled with setting an age limit that is appropriate. Personally, I would have loved to see the age be 25, after most of the brain development has been completed, but that is probably unrealistic."

Fortier is also concerned about the social problems that could arise from the abuse of marijuana, the same as happens with alcohol.

Meanwhile, the executive director of Youth for Christ in Steinbach, Rueben Singh, says he is unsure whether legalization of marijuana will have an impact on their clientele.

"I not sure that it'll affect the youth that we work with a whole lot. I think they are going to use marijuana whether they get it illegally from a legal source or an illegal source. I think it's something that they'll continue to do, just like alcohol."

Singh also notes many young people today do not consider marijuana a drug, using that designation for harder substances like

Rueben Singhcocaine and meth.

"Marijuana is almost not considered a drug by the young people we interact with. They'll say they might be clean for so many days but the last time they used marijuana was today, but they still consider themselves clean from drugs, in their eyes."

Singh agrees with Dr. Fortier that legalizing marijuana won't make related social problems go away any differently than legalization of alcohol did not remove the social problems that result from its abuse.