...Marijuana, also known as cannabis, is a form of the cannabis plant. In 1923, marijuana was added to the Confidential Restricted List as a prohibited drug in Canada. However, many Canadians believe that marijuana should be legalized because it can play a significant role in the medical industry. However, others hold the opposite attitude toward Marijuana legalization. This serious controversy has lasted for many decades. Canada’s neighbor, the U.S. government, has forbidden this drug since the early 1900s. However, this implementation didn’t produce a satisfactory result. (National Prevention Strategy, 2011) Marijuana should be legalized in Canada because its advantages outweigh the disadvantages. These advantages are likely to promote the Canadian economy, eliminate social issues and benefit the health of its residents. In terms of the economy, legalizing marijuana could conduct not only negative effects, but also positive effects. In the past decade, underground trade of marijuana has caused harm to Canada’s income. Werner Antweiler, the UBC professor, believes that the marijuana market is sizable. (2013) In B.C., the estimates show that Canadians consume at least 3 billion dollars in marijuana products annually. (Barmak, 2013) Other data from The International Journal of Drug Policy indicate that the retail value of marijuana consumption in B.C is between $443 million and $564 million. In addition, further estimates point out that marijuana legalization is likely to help the...
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...The legalization of Marijuana has been one of the most recent and controversial debates within the Canadian judicial system. When The Liberals won the election back in October, 2015 as majority government, Justin Trudeau made a promise that the Liberals will legalize the use of marijuana. The issue that the Liberal Party has been trying to overcome is finding the right way to strictly regulate the use of marijuana while considering all factors faced in today’s society such as accessibility to minors, impaired driving, and selling it illegally outside the regulated licensed institutions. Legalizing marijuana would eliminate the possibility of it containing harmful additives. Currently, there is a possibility that some marijuana is being laced with other harmful substances such as crystal- meth or heroin that the dealer does not inform the user of. The legalization of marijuana would eliminate the laced marijuana and provide a safer environment for users. Marijuana contains a psychoactive ingredient called THC, which is the short form for delta-9 tetrehydrocannabinol. Medical marijuana contains THC, it is known to be therapeutic for ill patients and has been scientifically proven to reduce nausea and vomiting during cancer treatments such as chemotherapy, as well as increasing appetite in HIV patients, and a therapeutic drug for patients suffering from chronic pain or muscle spasms (Medveczky, 2004). According to Statistics Canada the estimated amount of marijuana users...
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...and Legalization of Drugs in Canada The Decriminalization and/ or legalization of drugs is a highly contentious issue regarding political, legal, economic, and social implications. It is also a highly contagious issue that the media cannot seem to cure its self of. Then again the public definitely cares about this issue intensely and so do many politicians whether they are users themselves or just simple supporters (of the tax revenues that legalizing certain narcotics will bring in to the country), especially in the United States and Canada where people are being thrown in jail for years only because of small possession charges (more so in the USA). Prisons in The United States are overcrowded with people who shouldn’t be...
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...Decriminalization and Legalization of Cannabis Would Improve Canadian Society Criminology 101 - Section 02 Nikaya Mirhadi-Pathon Capilano University Cannabis, the plant from which marijuana is derived, is the most widely used, produced and trafficked drug worldwide (Ducatti Flister, 2012). The decriminalization of marijuana has been a widely debated topic on a global scale as many advocate for it’s therapeutic purposes. In the city of Seattle, there are reportedly more medicinal marijuana dispensaries than Starbucks outlets. With the recent rise of dispensaries, two Washington University students are preparing to capitalize on this phenomenon by releasing an app for iPhones called Canary, billed as “Uber for marijuana” where an illegal delivery service can bring high-grade cannabis to your home within the hour (Altman, 2014). Governments world wide have invested copious amounts of money in fighting drug production and consumption, even though, the war on drugs has increased cannabis seizures, we see in countries like Canada, that regulated distribution of marijuana, has made it more readily available for both recreational and medicinal users (Ducatti Flister, 2012). Although, police within the Canadian jurisdiction are capable of pursuing criminal charges for cannabis possession for those who are distributing and consuming illegally, there is still a lack of consensus on the legal status of cannabis in Canada. Though the drug is illegal in Canada, with exceptions for medicinal...
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...THE FIFTH ESTATE THURSDAY JANUARY 29, 2015 IN HEALTH AND SAFETY, JUSTICE AND LAW Where Canadian political parties stand on marijuana | | | | | | | | CONSERVATIVES Stephen Harper has said his party is strongly opposed to the legalization of marijuana, and that it will not happen under his government. The prime minister has been critical of Liberal leader Justin Trudeau coming out in favour of legalizing the drug. Speaking to the media in August 2013, Mr Harper said: “Obviously I think Mr Trudeau’s actions display poor judgment…our priority as a government is not encouraging the spread of drugs, it’s encouraging job creation in this country.” After being urged to do so by the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, the government is considering allowing police to write tickets for anyone caught with small amounts of marijuana instead of laying criminal charges. LIBERALS In the summer of 2013, Justin Trudeau came out in favour of the legalization of marijuana, a policy his party had adopted a year earlier. He said: "I did a lot of listening, a lot of reading and a lot of paying attention to the very serious studies that have come out, and I realized that going the road of legalization is actually a responsible thing to look at and to do." The Liberals under Justin Trudeau want marijuana legalized because then its sale could be regulated and controlled by the government, making it harder for children and teens to obtain. “It’s one of the only ways to...
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...of legalizing marijuana has been on a rise over the last couple of years, especially in Canada. According to Statistics Canada, they conducted a Canadian Community Health Survey – Mental Health (CCHS – MH) in 2012 that “12.2% of Canadians aged 15 or older (3.4 million) used marijuana in the past year” (Langlois and Rotermann). Over the years, smoking marijuana has become more and more of a ‘leisure activity’ amongst many young adolescents and teenagers. Whether or not society realizes, by participating, it has situated biased perceptions towards narcotics, strained their social relationships and triggered physiological effects on themselves. The majority of adolescents participate because of peer pressure. Regrettably, the innocent fifteen year old teen does not realize how detrimental smoking marijuana is after it is done once. Whereas, adults smoke marijuana because they are not able to escape their addiction therefore they partake in smoking marijuana to escape their reality. Prohibiting marijuana is a detrimental to their mental abilities, their health and the government. The prolonged misconception that smoking marijuana carries little to none health effects has been proven wrong by many doctors, scientists and researchers. Many users and pro-marijuana movements are under the impression that marijuana is not an addictive drug. After committing to smoking marijuana for the first time, the addiction is let off its leash. Recent studies has proven that marijuana is in fact and...
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...In another case, which involved 40,000 people in the medical marijuana access program and the federal court of Canada, who had certified a class-action lawsuit. This case took place in 2013, when Health Canada sent out envelops to 40,000 people who were part of the Marihuana Medical Access Program, which also had their name on the envelope as well as the program title, before this incident, letters never including the word marijuana in the title. This caused an uproar from the recipients of these letters, claiming that their privacy had been invaded and violated, they had also worried about losing their jobs or become victims of home invasions (CBC News 2015). Although the Office of Privacy Commissioner had ruled that Health Canada had violated...
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...With the upcoming legalization of marijuana, it is important to examine the effects of marijuana legalization by considering factors from various disciplines including economics, sociology, criminology, and medicine. On one hand, there are various therapeutic potentials to marijuana, such as those for chemotherapy and glaucoma. On the other hand, we face a growing concern of adverse health effects, particularly for the younger generation (Geneesk). We must remind ourselves that the science behind marijuana is a growing body of knowledge, and that it is difficult to determine exactly how the Canadian society will be affected. Marijuana originates from the plant, Cannabis sativa, whose main psychoactive component is THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol)....
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...Why Marijuana should not be made legalized * Introduction * Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug in the United States, with nearly 17 million Americans age 12 and older reporting past‐month use, and 374,000 people entering an emergency room annually with a primary marijuana problem. * Proposals such as legalization that would promote marijuana use are inconsistent with this public health and safety approach. * This is in contradiction with the Office of National Drug Control Policy, and any economic argument that applies to the legalization of marijuana applies most other illicit drugs. * Tax incentives argument * Alcohol Tax Incentives to Cost incentives * The debate over how much tax money recreational marijuana laws could produce is playing an outsize role in the campaigns for and against legalization — and both sides concede they're not really sure what would happen. * The argument is for: * it could prove a windfall for cash-strapped states with new taxes on pot and reduced criminal justice costs. * The report shows that marijuana legalization -- replacing prohibition with a system of taxation and regulation -- would save $7.7 billion per year in state and federal expenditures on prohibition enforcement and produce tax revenues of at least $2.4 billion annually if marijuana were taxed like most consumer goods. If, however, marijuana were taxed similarly to alcohol or tobacco, it might generate...
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...Mary Jane, chronic, ganja, bud, grass, pot, weed. Many of you are already familiar with more than 1 of these street names for one drug, marijuana. Are you aware that more than twenty-six percent of Ontarian students from grade 7-12 already use marijuana recreationally! It is the most popular illegal drug in North America and many people believe that it is not a dangerous drug. The wide use of marijuana is due to its ability to calm one down and to temporarily provide an escape from worries. It has not been found to be as hazardous as alcohol and some other drugs; however, it can affect perception and judgment, impair memory, and result in mental health issues. Keeping marijuana illegal is very costly because over five hundred million dollars are used annually enforcing marijuana laws. Prohibition has failed because marijuana has become one of the biggest “cash crops” in Canada. These are some of the reasons the Canadian government wants to legalize marijuana. Marijuana should continue to stay illegal in Canada. Legalizing this drug will make our country a drug vacation destination and increased accessibility will...
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...Legalization of Marijuana Name: Institutional Affiliation: Marijuana is one of the many names that are used to refer to Cannabis in different parts of the world. The drug is well known in cultures all around the globe and any topic that is tied to it generates intense reactions that are aligned in different directions. The conversation on the legal status of the use of Marijuana is always heated, with supporters and opponents all convinced that they are right (Hudak & Wallack, 2016). However, this essay analyzes this issue since it is one that cannot be ignored. Even the opponents must agree to consider what legalization of cannabis achieves, given that public support for it is only growing. It also seeks to lay out the negative implications of the legalization and finally balances them off against the benefits and makes its conclusions based thereon. Proponents argue that marijuana has been proved to have the ability to influence life positively. This is best captured by the medical use of marijuana in treating diseases. The drug has been proven to have palliative qualities and it has been accepted as a palliative agent in civilizations such as Canada on prescription. Additionally, opinion polls discovered that more than half of the American population would vote in support of using the drug for recreational purposes among adults (Ghosh, 2010). It would be imprudent to ignore the opinions of such a big proportion of the population for political leaders. The widespread...
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...solving May 24th, 2015 John Steele The Legalization of Marijuana The legalization of Marijuana has been a controversial subject within society for quite some time. What is Marijuana? Marijuana is defined as a tall plant with a stiff upright stem, divided serrated leaves, and glandular hairs. It is used to produce hemp fiber and as a psychotropic drug. Psychotropic is relating to or denoting drugs that affect a person's mental state. All drugs affect a person’s mental state in various ways. This is inclusive of cigarettes, alcohol and many over the counter drugs. Deaths caused by drugs in general are substantial, however the deaths caused by marijuana are substantially less or almost nonexistent. “Why should a drug be legalized?” and “Should marijuana be legalized?” these are questions that society has fought with for quite some time. There would be a great amount of benefits derived from the legalization of marijuana. Marijuana should be legalized for the medical benefits, the social benefits, and the economic benefits it would create. Marijuana has many medical benefits that would continue to aid the people already using it for existing conditions that may improve their standard of living. Studies on marijuana shows that marijuana supports the brains learning and memory functions. This is beneficial as improving one’s ability to learn and one’s memory functions would allow them to improve their knowledge span. Marijuana has also been proven to support goal oriented...
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...Michael Littlejohn Essay #4 English 1101 Marijuana Legalization The history of Marijuana dates back to many, many years, and has served different cultures in various ways. Over the last few years however Marijuana has been adapted to fit our lifestyles, and social environment. Today many people around the world smoke Marijuana, for medicinal purposes, and the drug should be legalized permanently as ‘pot’ has many beneficial uses, including easing pain, helping Canada to stay away from debt, saving millions of acres in forestry and creating jobs for many people; raising Canada’s economic status. Marijuana whose scientific name is Cannabis Sativa has been mentioned in manuscripts dating back to 2700 B.C. in China. The Jamestown settlers recorded the first nurturing of the plant in 1611, as they used the hemp from the plant’s fibers to make rope and canvas. Marijuana also known as ‘weed’ was used to make clothing, as the plant was very durable. In that time, ‘pot’ was used more for survival than for any other purposes. Marijuana came into play with the scarcity of alcohol in the ‘olden’ days. The use of the drugs rose from there, and became a large problem in the Unites States. The United States is one of those countries that can immensely benefit from the legalization of Marijuana use. In the States, Marijuana is the most widely used controlled substance, and since the drug is used so often, why not brew large amounts of money. Selling the drug and at the same time raising...
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...The Legalization of Marijuana Marijuana, also known as Cannabis, is a psychoactive drug for medicinal purposes. The English term marijuana originates from the Mexican Spanish work marihuana. According to the United Nations, marijuana is the most widely used illicit substance in the world. In modern times, marijuana has been used for such cases like recreational, religious, spiritual and medicinal purposes. However, most of today’s people use marijuana for own self-satisfaction and psychoactive purposes. The United Nation estimated that in 2004, around 4 percent of the world’s adult population, which is 162 million people, used marijuana annually and around 0.6 percent used it daily. Due to its psychoactive effect, marijuana is currently recognized as illegal drug in most cases. Right now, it is only used for medical purposes and is legal in few places. However, there have been continuous debates going on about legalizing the marijuana. Although most politicians disagree with legalizing it, there is increase in number who agrees on legalizing marijuana for many purposes. I, too, agree on legalizing marijuana because it will solve many problems. Current Obama administration is on stress about medical marijuana laws. Ethan Nadelmann pointed out that state medical marijuana laws do not make “any sense in terms of public safety, health or fiscal policy”. (Franklin) When marijuana is used for medical purpose, there are over 70 percent of voters who support. However, recently, those...
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...The arguments for and against the legalization of marijuana in the United States has been going on for many years. The valid points for both arguments are plentiful and each party feels strongly about their position on the matter. Marijuana should be legalized because the money the state and federal governments would make, and save, would ease or possibly eliminate any deficit they have. The average state and federal tax on cigarettes add up to $2.47(Boonn, 2011). The average tax is almost as much as a single pack of cigarettes before taxes. Conversely, smoking a single marijuana cigarette is the equivalent of smoking 7 – 10 cigarettes at one time (Miller, 1999). If marijuana is legalized a high price tag should be placed on the product as well as steep taxes. This would deter many people from actually trying if the price is so high. Some say if cannabis is legalized they will just grow their own. For cases like this permits as well as taxes will have to be in place for them as well. Overall the taxation of legal marijuana could potentially be a saving grace. A study at International Center for Prison Studies at King's College London found that “The United States has less than 5 percent of the world's population, but it has almost a quarter of the world's prisoners” (Liptak, 2008). The legalization of marijuana would reduce the number of drug related arrests, court and prison costs. In 2005, 19.1 percent of state sentenced prisoners were drug offenders and in 2007, a staggering...
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