A Canadian expert is warning Barbados to carefully consider the implications of legalising marijuana before taking any such step.

Addressing a forum on the legalisation of the drug hosted by the Barbados Employers Confederation, Professor Louis Hugo Francescuitti noted the trends seen in other countries where the use of the drug has been decriminalised, such as increased juvenile delinquency and mental illness.

He stresses that legalising marijuana is a risky proposition with potential benefits but also a significant downside that has to be provided for.