There is a large drug problem facing Canada today, and this problem extends to all citizens. It's not just the poor and the uneducated that are affected by this problem. The most largely used illegal drug in Canada is Marijuana, and thus is targeted as the drug for law enforcement to target the most, costing the taxpayers lots and lots of money. I will show you that Marijuana is not as large an evil as it may appear, and that if legalized the economy would be strengthened and the efforts of law enforcement could be focused on more serious drugs.

First off, to understand what we are dealing with I will give a brief explanation of what Marijuana is and it's uses. Marijuana is classified as a hallucinogen and is a psychoactive drug. Its medical name is Cannabis Sativa and it is found in the Indian hemp plant, of which there are three types; Cannabis Sativa, Cannabis Indica, and Cannabis Rudderalis. Some of its nicknames and street names are pot, weed, green, herb, and sensi. The drugs use dates back in manuscripts back to 2700B.C. in China (Nadelmann). Jamestown settlers also cultivated the drug, 1611, who used the drug for its fibers to make rope and clothes. Marijuana is widely

Ethan A. Nadelmann, American Heritage Magazine, Feb-Mar, 1993.

Now that you know a little about the drug I will discuss its health effects. I am not saying that Marijuana is good for you; all I am saying is that comparable negative effects are present in many legalized drugs.

The policy on marijuana now is a closed minded one; instead of truly analyzing the problem legislators are merely placing tougher laws on it. This policy that the government has adopted is a very poor one. Being open minded in this issue is of the utmost importance. There are many reasons that point to the legalization of marijuana being positive, yet the idea remains taboo to many. This issue is not one that will go away, it needs to be dealt with, and dealt with a fresh new attitude. There are more and more people becoming educated and realizing that marijuana should be legalized. Marijuana usage is very common, even among the elite. Some famous people who used marijuana before according to the internet site www.cannabis.com are; Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Newt Gingrich, and White House press secretary Mike McCurry. Also, former New York state representative Susan Molinari admitted to smoking marijuana and while at a debate openly lied about it. A larger problem that society faces than marijuana is the ethics of current politicians. Using a pleasurable substance is not as potentially harmful as lying to the voters about an issue that needs lots of attention.

used, an estimated one out of every three people have used it, and among high school students 44% have experimented with it (Bowmen). Marijuana is almost always smoked to experience the effects, but eating it and brewing it into tea are common practice also. It can be smoked by rolling it into a paper (joint) or by placing it into a pipe (often called a bowl). Often times there is a mixture of marijuana with tobacco to create a pleasurable taste. When someone smokes marijuana for the first time they do not get high, it is usually the second or third time a user feels the effects. These include chronic laughter and heightened senses. Afterwards a dry mouth and hunger, called the munchies, often follow. The ingredient in cannabis sativa that causes the mind-altering effects is THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol).

There are many supporters of the legalization of marijuana, many being politicians and people with high social ranking. One is Baltimore mayor Kurt L. Schmoke. He is strongly in favor of marijuana legalization and is the head of workshops and organizations that promote it. Dr. Ethan A. Nadelmann, a professor at Princeton said, "The nations war on drugs has been a costly exercise in futility, filling the nations prisons with low-level criminals." Another expert, Christopher Brown said, "Legalization should not be taken to mean a lawless free-for-all with no restraint on the supply or use of the drug. Done properly it would allow government to take control of the distribution and quality of the substance away from criminals. Supply should be regulated by a system of government licenses analogous to those already in force for tobacco and alcohol, which would serve, among other things, to keep the drugs out of the hands of childre

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