Should Marijuana Be Legalized - 1314 Words

Marijuana, also known as cannabis, has been deemed an unacceptable and illegal substance in Canada, as well as in many other nations. It is a drug which can alter an individual’s sense of perception and distort one’s senses, and may become addictive if used repeatedly. Although marijuana is looked down upon in society when used for recreational purposes, it serves several beneficial purposes in the medical field. The legalization of marijuana is a prominent growing issue in several Canadian provinces, as it is allegedly believed to benefit the Canadian economy and decrease crime rates if it is legalized and regulated properly. The government spends millions of dollars to enforce new rules and regulation to control the use and trafficking†¦show more content†¦The predominant effects of prohibition range from wasted resources to ruined lives, as each year enforcing laws on prohibiting possession and use of marijuana costs approximately $500 million (MacQueen, Ken ). Moreover, not only is it excessively costly to enforce prohibition laws, but rather the arrests for those in possession of marijuana divert officers away from more crucial issues, and can have severe repercussions for those arrested. The hundreds of thousands of people who are arrested each year but do not do jail time also suffer as their arrests stay on their records for years, thus hindering their prospects for jobs, loans, housing and benefits. As unemployment and underemployment rates remain high, and while many parts of the country are experiencing a housing crisis, a single marijuana arrest can have ominous consequences. There is no substantial evidence proving that prohibition reduces drug use, rather it is a recurring criminal act, especially among adolescents. Although some may argue that legalizing marijuana would increase the use of it, it is actually the opposite that will occur if it is regulated properly. Prohibiting marijuana has evidently not stopped individuals from illegally using it, as it is in fact proven that marijuana use has continuously increased among adolescents, as they see it as a sign of rebellion (Beckett, Katherine and Herbert, Steve). As banning marijuana has not produced significant benefits, and has rather been conducive to