Article content

They already opposed tobacco. Now the nation’s doctors say Canadians shouldn’t smoke “any plant material” whatsoever, including marijuana.

Delegates at the Canadian Medical Association’s general council meeting voted Wednesday to formally oppose the smoking of any plant substance.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Doctors say Canadians should not smoke 'any plant material' — including marijuana Back to video

Opponents to the motion said it was a back-door way to ban medical marijuana. Some claimed it smacks of Prohibition all over again.

Taken literally, the blanket statement could cover dozens of plants that people smoke in different cultures.

But outgoing CMA president Dr. Louis Hugo Francescutti said smoking harms the lungs’ “natural cleaning and repair system and traps cancer-causing chemicals” in the airways.

He cited a 2008 study by the American Chemical Society that found marijuana smoke contains many of the same chemicals as tobacco smoke but in substantially higher levels.

Smoking marijuana may be more harmful than tobacco, partly because people often take “deeper, longer” puffs, said incoming president Dr. Chris Simpson.