Legalize Marijuana Essay

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Sukhmanjit Mundi
Mrs. Johnston
CLN4U0
14 January 2013
Marijuana should be legalized in the state of Canada

Canada has been the leader in progress on very delicate issues such as gay marriage, abortion and health care, until the recent decisions made by the United States Government (USA) regarding the use and distribution of marijuana. It’s time for the Canadian government to look upon its own drug laws and ask if these present laws are relevant and effective in today’s modern society and legalize the distribution, possession and use of the narcotic once and for all. The legalization of marijuana has been one of the major issues that the government is being pressured to address by the Canadian society. Although, marijuana is generally categorized as a negative influence and mentioned alongside hard drugs such as cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine, marijuana has greater beneficial properties than harmful. According to Canadian marijuana laws, it is illegal to possess, produce or traffic marijuana on Canadian soil. Possession refers to the action in which a person is in knowing of personal possession. Trafficking refers to the action in which an individual attempts to sell, administer, give, transfer, transport or send illegal substances. Marijuana is currently illegal because of the potential "harms,” defined by the government; yet, if it were legalized in our nation, Canada would reap the economic, environmental, legal, social and countless other benefits.

The legalization of marijuana in Canada would be economically beneficial for the state because the narcotic could produce taxed revenue as well as sales revenue for the government and would also cut costs of police and court resources that are being used to enforce the prohibition of marijuana, which as a whole would boost our failing economy. If Marijuana is looked upon as a commodity or product, it can be taxed and regulated just as any other commodity. The Marijuana industry in Canada is worth to be an estimated nineteen to twenty one billion dollars (Grills N.p.). British Columbia’s crop alone is estimated to be worth seven billion dollars if sold at a street price of $10 per each metric gram)(Beckl, N.p.). All of this money illegal revenue for gangs and illegal drug trafficking projects. If the government were to legalize the narcotics, it would cost them forty-four cents to produce and sell one metric gram of marijuana (Easton N.p.). This means that if the government were to legalize and regulate marijuana through the same methods used to regulate liquor and tobacco products, they could receive an estimated forty to one hundred billion dollars in revenue yearly (Beckl. N.p.). The Canadian criminal system is using thirty percent of their resources dealing with marijuana related problems (Mayfield N.p.). The prohibition of the narcotic has cost the Canadian government billions of dollars towards incomplete and ineffective enforcement. If the government were to decriminalize the plant, then the state would not have to spend an excessive amount of money on the police and court resources that persecute and enforce marijuana laws, saving the government around one billion dollars a year (Mayfield N.p.). The United States spends an estimated one billion dollars yearly incarcerating individuals on marijuana-related charges, most of which are possession charges, which makes no sense at all (Easton N.p.). By legalizing the narcotic not only will the economy prosper but also the government would be able to save an excessive amount of money. The government would also be able to receive revenue generated from the sale of marijuana as well as taxed revenue, which could be used to fund projects that would be beneficial for the state and its people.

The legalization of marijuana is not only beneficial for the state in a economic and financial manner, but it can also allow the states police and court resources, that are currently being used to enforce marijuana laws,
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