Should Marijuana be Legal in Canada

Marijuana can also hurt a person?s immune system. People who smoke marijuana are more susceptible to getting sick because their bodies are not as healthy. A person?s body is not fully capable of fighting off viruses, bacteria, fungi and protazoa (Fact Sheet). One of the main chemicals in marijuana is THC, or delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol. THC is what damages the white blood cells in a person?s body (Marijuana). ?Marijuana use suppresses the production of white blood cells (the cells that fight infection and disease)? (What to Teach Kids 4).

In animal experiments THC has also been reported to lower levels of female hormones and disturb the menstrual cycle. When monkeys, rats, and mice are exposed during pregnancy to amounts of THC equivalent to a heavy human smoker’s dose, stillbirths and decreased birth weight are sometimes reported in their offspring. There are also reports of low birth weight, prematurity, and even a condition resembling the fetal alcohol syndrome in some children of women who smoke marijuana heavily during pregnancy. The significance of these reports is unclear because

Marijuana is a mixture of the dried parts of the cannabis sativa hemp plant. Excessive marijuana use can lead to an addiction. The main chemical in marijuana is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which moves quickly through the bloodstream and to the brain, causing mild hallucinogenic effects. THC binds with cannabdnob receptors and activates neurons, which causes adverse effects on the mind and body. THC can mimic or block actions of neurotransmitters and interfere with normal functions. Marijuana use can lead to disturbed thoughts and can worsen psychotic symptoms. The short-term effects of marijuana include impaired coordination; skewed sensory and time perception; difficulty with thinking; shortened attention span and distractibility; impaired learning and memory. Long term users of marijuana often experience lowered motivation and some can experience anxiety, panic attacks, respiratory illness, and increased heart rate and risk of heart attack.

Marijuana has also been linked to lower testosterone levels, sperm count and quality in men who are heavy users. Therefore, they may suffer from low libido and fertility. If a mother uses it while pregnant their baby may develop memory, concentration and problem-solving skills (Web MD).

This effect can last up to several hours after the drug has been smoked (National Institute on Drug Abuse ). The brain is another thing affected by smoking marijuana, leading to loss of memory in the brain. The nervous system also is affected when using this drug (National Institute on Drug Abuse). Loss of memory and the effects it has on the nervous system alone should raise concern for the American people. Continuing on with heath issues associated with the use of marijuana, it is proven to impair the immune system and can also promote tumor growth (Taylor). The immune system is essential to keep healthy because this is what fights off other illnesses within the body. Increased risk of lung cancer, and cognitive difficulties all can be associated with the use of marijuana (Wilbur). Research has proven smoking marijuana affects health several ways; even though most have been discussed take a look at the following chart, it will help visualize some health issues that are associated with smoking marijuana.

The article, "We need to legalize marijuana now," by Ken MacQueen, dives into the topic of legalizing marijuana and the issues surrounding the matter.  The author expands the topics of why marijuana is illegal, the cost of keeping marijuana illegal, why the prohibition is unfair, the potential risk to public safety by legalizing marijuana and the positive effects of legalizing marijuana.  The author is able to firmly explain his point of view, why Canada should legalize marijuana, using examples, quotes and statistics.  MacQueen concludes his

Should marijuana be legalized? Marijuana, also known as cannabis, is currently an illegal recreational herb or substance in Canada with some exceptions to government authorized dispensaries for medical use. Legalization means its legal but with regulations in place. Cigarettes are legal but have many regulations on how they are made, how they are packaged, how they are sold and even used. Legalization of marijuana ensures regulations are put in place for the wellbeing of all Canadians. There are many benefits to legalizing marijuana such as making the substance less accessible to minors, increase taxation revenues, and lowering criminal activity.

Currently it is legal to use marijuana under a Health Canada license for medical purposes in Canada; however, the debate if Canada should legalize marijuana for recreational use has exploded in controversy of the years (marijuanaalaws.ca). For instance, Lupick argues British Columbia should be proactive with legalizing recreational use of cannabis since most of the West Coast has already legalized marijuana in all capacities (Lupick). Some opinions argue that legalization should occur because the perception is there are no health risks to the use of marijuana and there are benefits for individuals with medical issues (Pacula et al. 1021). However, the opinion alters for some individuals that claim

This is an issue that is concerning many Canadians today, as the newly elected government wants to legalize marijuana. Many parties such as the conservative party are very opposed to this and many are not quite sure like the NDP. There are arguments for both positions on this topic, such as if this will create drug addicts, kill people if legalized or if it can benefit Canadas economy and the people living here.

Marijuana is a commonly used street and recreational drug. It is a mood-altering drug affecting most organs in the body. There is evidence stating that marijuana is useful to people suffering from severe pain and chronic health problems, although it is believed that there are still multiple health concerns surrounding the drug (Davis, 2016). It is estimated that nearly 2.3 million Canadians are marijuana users (McDowell, n.d.). Marijuana is not yet legal in Canada, but it appears as though it may become legal in the near future. In 2015, there were 96, 423 drug violation incidents that occurred in Canada. According to StatCan, crimes involving marijuana have decreased, while crimes involving other drugs have increased. (Government of Canada,

Marijuana legalization has been a debateable topic in the recent history. Canada’s government sees Marijuana as the biggest threat while alcohol and tobacco, two of the most life threatening substances are legal, so why not legalize marijuana as well? Is prohibition of marijuana really helping the society or is it just creating the forbidden fruit effect”, which provokes the citizens to try it? There are many different ideas regarding its complete legalization as well as the smaller scale medical marijuana legalization. Regardless of what the conclusion of the argument is, these beliefs fall under either social order or conflict perspective. Following this topic,

Legalizing marijuana is a hot potato in the world. Many people think that marijuana is a drug, so it should be illegal; however, other people consider that marijuana should be legalized because it has less risks than other drugs. In spite of the controversy surrounding marijuana, Canadians seem to be tolerant of it; the current government of Canada is trying to legalize the substance like alcohol.

Frequent smoking of marijuana can damage the bronchial passages; these passages protect against inhaled microorganisms and decrease the ability of one’s immune cells in the lungs to fend off bacteria and fungi ("Marijuana's Lasting Effects on the Brain."). For people whose immune systems are already weak, they have a heightened chance of getting risky pulmonary infections like pneumonia, which oftentimes becomes fatal to AIDS patients ("Marijuana's Lasting Effects on the Brain."). Marijuana has shown to decrease the body’s overall immune system, making the body more prone to infection ("Marijuana's Lasting Effects on the

Marijuana crosses the placenta and blood-brain barrier because of this marijuana has been shown to negatively affect brain development. Some of the documented negative long-term consequences of marijuana use in pregnancy are emotional, cognitive, and behavioral disorders. Marijuana may also lead to difficulty with attention, memory and problem solving (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2014). Physical effects of infants exposed to marijuana use while in utero have been proven and include decreased birth weight, height, gestational period and higher incidence of preterm labor (Alharbi & el-Guebaly,

Marijuana makes you calm. Marijuana reduces stress. Marijuana cures diseases such as cancer. Marijuana is not a drug. Marijuana is a plant; therefore it is not dangerous to one’s health and overall being. Many have heard it all before, the hundreds of reasons as to why marijuana is deemed as a “safe” drug and why it should be legalized, yet people have not quite heard the hundreds of reasons as to why it should stay illegal. In today’s society, there is a huge controversy on the topic of marijuana legalization. Marijuana, or Cannabis, is a greenish-gray mixture of dry, shredded leaves of Cannabis Sativa, a hemp plant. It has many different uses, including smoking for a high effect, brewing into tea, mixing it into foods, and for medicinal purposes. Although marijuana is currently illegal in Canada, at one point it was not. It was not until 1923 that cannabis was added to the schedule of the Opium and Narcotic Act (Dyck, 2014). Also, it was not until recently that the Canadian Medical Marijuana Access Regulations allowed legal access to cannabis for individuals with severe illnesses; only authorized personnel can grow pot or obtain it from authorized producers or Health Canada (Dyck, 2014). In 2014, Canada banned Canadians with a permit for medicinal marijuana use to grow their own supply, the only way they would be able to receive it was by going to an authorized provider (Dyck, 2014). However, many people do not feel as though marijuana should be illegal, as it has upsides,