Anti-marijuana ad's 'fear-mongering' angers CBC readers [View all]

CBC readers are annoyed with a Health Canada anti-marijuana ad that makes a widely disputed claim that smoking a joint can decrease someone's IQ.

The ad, which has been up on a government YouTube account since Oct. 20, provides a list of troubling side-effects from smoking marijuana.

It claims marijuana can cause loss of memory, learning problems and decreased IQ, and "can damage a teen for life."

A CBC News article showed the "decreased IQ" allegation, which is displayed across the screen during the 30-second spot, is hotly contested by another study and other researchers. Despite knowing this, Health Canada still chose the ad after it received the strongest reaction from parental focus groups.

Link: http://www.cbc.ca/newsblogs/yourcommunity/2014/12/anti-marijuana-ads-fear-mongering-angers-cbc-readers-1.html