Marijuana is one of the most controversial discussions in recent trends of society. This is a global epidemic and doesn't only affect our country. Even In countries such as Colombia, The Netherlands, and various states in the United States (Colorado, Washington, and Oregon), marijuana is legalized for recreational and medical purposes for all legal participants. However, in countries such as canada, marijuana has been newly legalized for both medical and recreational use,which remains debatable for numerous citizens either supporting or opposing the use of cannabis. Concentrating on three crucial perspectives: economic aspects, health issues, and social issues. The central theme that runs through the issue of marijuana is the optimistic and adverse influences of cannabis that provide an understanding to reveal the paramount fate of marijuana in all newly legal states.
Economy is one of the aspects that supporters and opponents debate regarding the legalization of marijuana. Supporters of legalization of marijuana argue that the government could accumulate taxes on society members who use marijuana, which leads to stimulation of the economy. For instance, in the journal article “The Economic Case for Marijuana Legalization in Canada” by Larissa Ducatti Flister (2012) who is associated with the University of the Sinos Valley establishes that profits of $2 billion will outcome due to the introduction of innovative taxes enforced on marijuana users (p.97).Another factor that contributes towards the stimulation of economy based on my knowledge is the amount of resources of police and law enforcement agencies that could be utilized for other types of crime instead of marijuana related offences, resulting in fewer arrests and court cases overall. For example, the criminal justice system will save tremendous amounts of money, ensuing in one less offence that courts have to cope with as regular marijuana users could live with ease instead of perturbing about prohibition laws on marijuana. Based on these arguments, it’s essential to discern that the economy could have a drastic upsurge with outlines of new taxes that could fund in programs essential for the society due to the legalization of marijuana.
On the other hand, opponents of marijuana disagree towards the instituting of a greater economy impacting from the legalization of marijuana. Critics contend that numerous citizens may not consume marijuana due to the increase in taxes; which won’t be enough to increase tax revenues. Also, Flister (2012) asserts that capitalists would be “induced into the market, increasing drug supply while driving down its retail price” (p. 97). This conveys that the sales of marijuana won’t be prolific resulting in marijuana markets to face various losses in the business, which implies that economy won’t have a drastic impact from the endorsement of cannabis. Overall, opponent’s view conveys that legalization of marijuana will influence the growth of economy to a lesser extent since numerous individuals won’t take the advantage of consuming marijuana from markets due to tax increases.
From my opinion based on the arguments made by the supporters and opponents for the legalization of marijuana from an economic perspective, I support the influences since the increase of taxes on marijuana consumers will stimulate the economy. The prohibition of marijuana has negative effects on the economy because it includes greater expenses with minor profits due to the amount of high profile marijuana-related cases in the criminal justice system. For example, this conveys that expensive resources are utilized in police investigations “but also to prosecute and penalize offenders: in 2011, there were 113,100 police-reported drug crimes” (Flister, 2012, p.98).Essentially, I believe that not only the economy will flourish from the legalization of marijuana due to imposed taxes but also the decrease of marijuana-related cases will develop more job opportunities in the related drug market for previously accused offenders.
Marijuana is a debatable consideration to contemplate by Canadian societies. For instance, the most significant element to consider when debating about marijuana is the health issues: the pros and cons of marijuana’s influence on our health. Followers of marijuana dispute that, marijuana has beneficial influences on health, which conveys the support of legalization of marijuana. For example, marijuana reduces levels of depression symptoms as it causes individuals to feel relaxed after a long day of work or school. According to V. Kumar who is a professor of psychology at University of Pennsylvania implies that cannabis promotes creativity due to the increase of psychotomimetic symptoms when inhaled by individuals, resulting in marijuana users to imagine and visualize innovative thoughts (Kumar, 2012, para. 2). Moreover, medical research implies that marijuana has a positive effect in treating cancer patients. For example, marijuana is inhaled by cancer patients since it aids in treating nausea and queasiness symptoms by minimizing the agony initiated by impaired nerves. Based on these arguments, marijuana could factor in treating cancer or improving creativity in individuals that result in it to be beneficial towards everyday society.
However, opponents of marijuana disapprove the beneficial impact on health aspects since they argue that marijuana is one of the negative influences affecting health of Canadians today. Marijuana inflicts immediate effects on consumers such as rapid heartbeats or lack of physical coordination. Based on my experience, if a particular individual inhales marijuana excessively, it can lead to drastic symptoms that affect certain movements or the respiratory system. According to Sonia Alvarado who is a senior teratogen information specialist for the “Mother To Baby” blog, conveys that pregnant women smoking marijuana could have a negative influence on the newborn baby as he/she could reveal signs of abnormality during birth. For instance, the newborn baby could develop “symptoms that include exaggerated and prolonged startle reflexes (sleep cycle disturbances with high-pitched crying)” (Alvarado, 2014, para.5). Generally, opponents view that marijuana is an adverse influence on health for youths and pregnant women as it can impact their wellbeing and surroundings drastically.
Having considered these arguments on the analysis of pros and cons for marijuana as it affects health of individuals, I strongly oppose marijuana use for citizens due to a variety number of harmful risks towards teens or pregnant women, such as birth defects if individuals use excessively or feel addicted towards the cannabis. There are numerous impactful opposing factors regarding legalization of marijuana from perspectives of health issues, which outweighs the positive influences of marijuana concerning health disputes. Overall, I believe that marijuana usage should be inhaled by individuals to a lesser extent as it inflicts drastic negative factors that can seriously harm the body’s respiratory system or cause baby defects as it does supplementary harm to the individual’s wellbeing instead of notable benefits.
Society is one of the most considerable aspects to contemplate when debating about the legalization of marijuana. For instance, cannabis has positive and negative effects that impacts society members drastically in their everyday lives. Supporters of marijuana emphasize that use of cannabis increases productivity in work and school. According to Dannielle Rose (2015) who is an author at “Cannahacker” argues that smoking marijuana is interrelated with productivity since drug inhaling increases dopamine in the brain (para. 6). For example, cumulative amounts of dopamine are an impactful factor that promotes motivation in the human brain, which aids individuals to increase productivity on assignments in school or towards studying in order to achieve higher grades. Moreover, supporters of ratification for marijuana seem to enlist health factors such as increasing motivation from inhaling marijuana is a beneficial influence from society’s viewpoint in schools or workplaces.
Nonetheless, opponents of endorsement for marijuana criticize the insights made by the supporters by appealing that cannabis is one of the negative impacting factors that harm the functions of society. For example, marijuana users may excessively utilize the drug or become tremendously addicted to it resulting in aggression that has a negative influence on relationships. Based on my experience, frequent teen consumers of marijuana face abundant states of mood irritability, impatience, anxiety or violence that develops poor affiliations with parents, teachers, or friends. In the journal article “Legalization of medical marijuana and marijuana use among youths” by Bettina Friese and Joel W. Grube (2013) associated in California’s Prevention research center proclaims that youths who inhale marijuana to a greater extent reveal harmful consequences in “adulthood, including poorer educational attainment, greater risk of intimate partner violence, lower work commitment, greater risk of drug dependence and greater involvement in crime” (pg. 33). This conveys that marijuana has hostile effects on youths, which causes them to be aggressive that could outcome in a life of crime in the future.
Based on these arguments, I oppose the use of marijuana regarding social aspects since marijuana could lead to drastic negative influences on youths’ future such as their progress in schools and greater interest towards crime. I believe that the negative influences of marijuana use from a social perspective have drastic influences on teens as it does supplementary damage than provide positive influences. For instance, the future of adolescences hasa greater risk of becoming negatively impacted by the excessive use of cannabis that leads to lower amounts of job opportunities and education. However, there are positive influences of marijuana on youths such as increased levels of productivity but it occurs short term while the negative influences like chances of being involved in crime and maintaining poor relationships is a consequence that affects teens long term.
In conclusion, the dispute between supporters and opponents for legalization of marijuana that focuses on three significant perspectives such as economic aspects, health issues, and social issues have provided a deeper level of understanding between optimistic and adverse influences on cannabis. From each perspective, I have identified the various types of influences that affect Canadians around us. For example, marijuana has a fairly positive influence on the economy due to the inducement of taxes while negative influences on health and social aspects since there are several damaging risks towards teen in terms of harming their respiratory system and increasing the opportunity of leading a life in crime from excessively inhaling cannabis. Generally, I disapprove the legalization of marijuana because the social and health aspects have tremendous negative influences that affect marijuana consumers with teens in particular as it outweighs the positive influences, which only supports the economy growth while discourages the undesirable impacts such as relationship problems or minimal future employment opportunities. Although, marijuana will mostly remain a controversial debate that everyone could reason by supporting or opposing but there are several perspectives that one should consider before providing a true decisive decision.