Argumentative Essay On Should Marijuana Be Legalized In Canada

Drugs are a major influential force in today’s society. One of the most debated topics nowadays is whether to legalize the use of marijuana in Canada. Unfortunately, most of the Canadian people do not know great deal about marijuana. They consider it as harmful as other drugs such as heroine and cocaine and thus believe that prohibiting it is favorable for the Canadians. However, deeper analysis in the topic proves that legalizing marijuana is not only beneficial for the Canadian economy, but is also a great necessity for the general welfare of the society. Indeed, if marijuana legalization means people would avoid the use of substitutes such as alcohol or hard drugs and would use marijuana instead, the net result would be positive both to the users and the society (McVay, 1997). The legalization of marijuana in BC, Canada could also contribute to the government taxation, the tourism in the country, the liberalization of people’s rights and the medical system of the country.
Many governments worldwide are investing millions of dollars in fighting drug production and consumption. Even though the war on drugs has increased marijuana confiscations, studies show that the drug availability on the black market has also increased. In Canada, marijuana annual usage is estimated to be 3-5% higher than the world average (United Nations, 2012). Instead of spending so much money in fighting the use of marijuana, why not profit from it?! Currently, the federal government gets more than $ 5 billion in revenue from annual sales of tobacco. In this way of thinking, a joint would cost much more than a cigarette, and thus would be certainly taxed heavily. It is estimated that the cost of producing a a marijuana cigarrete would be around $1.50 while its retail price would reach approximately $8.60 (yielding a profit of $7.1 per marijuana cigarrete) (Easton, 2004).
The legalization of marijuana in Canada would also contribute to the tourism sector. Take a look at the Netherlands, for example. In places like Amsterdam, the legalization of marijuana attracts many tourists who stay for a few days in the city and who spend a lot of money on hotels, food, souvenirs and so on. Following the same example, Canadian tourists could travel to BC in order to enjoy legal marijuana and put cash into provincial coffee shops.
We live in a liberal society where people deserve the freedom to use marijuana. From a philosophical point of view, individuals living in a liberal society deserve the right to make their own choices. The government only has a right to limit an individual’s rights in case the individual’s actions endanger other people or if they pose a significant threat to the individual himself. This restriction is not valid for the use of marijuana, since there are many studies which prove that the use of marijuana is far less dangerous than the use of tobacco and alcohol which is legal. According to The Lancet, an European medical journal, around 50.000 people die annually from alcohol poisoning and more than 400.000 from tobacco smoking. In comparison, marijuana is non toxiv and cannot by itself cause death if overdosed. The same journal states that: “even long-term smoking of marijuana is not harmful to health so it is reasonable to accept it as less of a threat than alcohol and tobacco”.
Last but not least, legalizing Marijuana will facilitate its usage as a medical cure and easing pain of many sufferers. Marijuana has been used for medical purposes for more than 4.000 years. Studies from Ancient India show that its psychoactive properties were recognized and used for treatment and pain relief of a variety of illnesses. Amongst others, this includes migraine, insomnia, gastrointestinal disorders, multiple sclerosis and many others. For example, since medical marijuana was legalized in California, doctors have reported that with the help of, marijuana have been able to treat about 300,000 cases of migraines that conventional medicine could not. Most importantly, Marijuana relives the pain caused by AIDS and cancer. Marijuana is good in blocking against vomiting and loss of appetite (National Cancer Institute). Since Marijuana is a drug that effectively combats pain, there is no other choice but to legalize the drug and make its access easy for the patients.
The use of marijuana is proven not only to be harmless for one’s health, but some instances, such as AIDS and cancer, it is the best medical cure. Even the Canadian Medical Association has made a statement that marijuana is “not addictive, not harmful in case of occasional use, and not evidently causing mental damage”.
In this context, legalizing marijuana will improve the medical system of Canada. As many doctors agree, legalizing marijuana will allow them to treat more patients with migraine, muscle plains and others. Legalizing marijuana will also contribute to the economic growth of Canada by increasing profitability from taxation its usage and improving tourism by attracting vacationers who spend money on hotels, food and others. Most importantly, legalizing the use of marijuana will prove the liberalized views of the Canadian government and the provision of free choice of the society. A recent public opinion of questionnaire shows that over 70% of Canadians approve the legalization of marijuana. This shows that government should listen to the people and explore the benefits of legalizing marijuana both for the society and the Canadian government.