To many people marijuana is considered to have medicinal benefits while others believe it’s a gateway drug. Some consider it to have a “high potential for abuse which may lead to severe psychological or physical dependence” ("Resources - Controlled Substance Schedules", 2016). That may not be the case as marijuana possession was criminalized in the Confidential Restricted List in 1923 under the Narcotics Drug Act Amendment Bill only because some “business people and clergy” were upset by the opium trade in British Columbia” (O 'Grady, 2014). The legalization and criminalization of marijuana will be discussed and arguments will be made for its legalization by referencing peer-reviewed medical and media articles, books, journals, and court records.
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With more people using marijuana, “there will be a greater social cost from decline in worker productivity and school performance.” There will also be a “greater need for drug education, rehabilitation and treatment.” ("Legalizing Marijuana Not Worth the Costs", 2010) Finally, we don’t know the costs of large-scale legalization of marijuana.
States where marijuana has been legalized such as Colorado noticed a problem when their hospitals “began seeing an increase in the number of children who had fallen ill from edible marijuana products they mistook for kid-appropriate snacks” (Dale, 2016). This legalization has been criticized many times for its “potential criminal abuses” (Fischer, Kuganesan & Room, 2015) of the Medical Marihuana Access Regulations. According to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, “marijuana smoke contains more tar and more of some cancer-causing chemicals than tobacco smoke” ("CAMH: About Marijuana", 2016). If marijuana is used early in life by a minor, “genetic susceptibility to schizophrenia” may increase (The War on Drugs: A Failed Experiment INSERT CITATION) and “children may have a greater risk of permanent cognitive deficits” (The War on Drugs: A Failed Experiment INSERT …show more content…
Marijuana is currently “licensed to treat MS - pictured on a brain scan - patients in both the US and UK” (Parry, 2015). The National Institute on Drug Abuse in the United States recently stated in their mice studies that when radiation is used with marijuana, it “may help kill certain cancer cells and reduce the size of others” (Parry, 2015). There is early evidence pointing to marijuana helping children as well. There is “anecdotal evidence that some children with hyperactivity or aggressiveness can benefit substantially from cannabis medicines (in non-smoked forms)” (Hadorn, 2016). Marijuana can also be safer than opioids, which are often given to children as a painkiller (Swartz, 2013) (Taddio, 2016). Finally legalizing marijuana will benefit many patients requiring its use to alleviate their pain and illness. Not only does its legalization benefit patients, it also benefits the state’s
With more people using marijuana, “there will be a greater social cost from decline in worker productivity and school performance.” There will also be a “greater need for drug education, rehabilitation and treatment.” ("Legalizing Marijuana Not Worth the Costs", 2010) Finally, we don’t know the costs of large-scale legalization of marijuana.
States where marijuana has been legalized such as Colorado noticed a problem when their hospitals “began seeing an increase in the number of children who had fallen ill from edible marijuana products they mistook for kid-appropriate snacks” (Dale, 2016). This legalization has been criticized many times for its “potential criminal abuses” (Fischer, Kuganesan & Room, 2015) of the Medical Marihuana Access Regulations. According to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, “marijuana smoke contains more tar and more of some cancer-causing chemicals than tobacco smoke” ("CAMH: About Marijuana", 2016). If marijuana is used early in life by a minor, “genetic susceptibility to schizophrenia” may increase (The War on Drugs: A Failed Experiment INSERT CITATION) and “children may have a greater risk of permanent cognitive deficits” (The War on Drugs: A Failed Experiment INSERT …show more content…
Marijuana is currently “licensed to treat MS - pictured on a brain scan - patients in both the US and UK” (Parry, 2015). The National Institute on Drug Abuse in the United States recently stated in their mice studies that when radiation is used with marijuana, it “may help kill certain cancer cells and reduce the size of others” (Parry, 2015). There is early evidence pointing to marijuana helping children as well. There is “anecdotal evidence that some children with hyperactivity or aggressiveness can benefit substantially from cannabis medicines (in non-smoked forms)” (Hadorn, 2016). Marijuana can also be safer than opioids, which are often given to children as a painkiller (Swartz, 2013) (Taddio, 2016). Finally legalizing marijuana will benefit many patients requiring its use to alleviate their pain and illness. Not only does its legalization benefit patients, it also benefits the state’s