Legalize it: Decriminalizing marijuana.

The use of marijuana for casual use is a long heated debate that many Canadians can be found on both sides of the argument There are good arguments for both sides of this debate, and the purpose of this paper is to briefly discuss just a couple of the positive and negative aspects of its legalization, or decriminalization. By comparing the use of marijuana to other intoxicants widely available, the cost of enforcing laws, and possible revenue that can be gained from legalization, it simply is not worth paying law enforcement to fight a battle that can never be won. The use of marijuana should be legalized, and government controlled.

Marijuana by comparison to alcohol is far less inebriating. Alcohol causes thousands of deaths per year through the act of drinking and driving, as well as alcohol poisoning, liver failure, and a host of other negative side effects. Intoxication of marijuana has yet to prove a single case of death due to overdose (without the aid of other intoxicants).

Haught Street Obama "Yes We Cannabis" Poster

Day 46 - West Midlands Police - Cannabis Drugs Rai...

English: Close up shot of some high quality mariju...

If the government is allowing the use of alcohol, to the point of even allowing licensed drivers to operate vehicles to a set amount before it becomes a chargeable offence, there is no reason to disallow the use of marijuana.

The cost of enforcing laws to prevent, and imprison those caught in the act of the casual use of marijuana, has skyrocketed. As a country, our money could be put to better uses. Some examples that come ready to mind include contraband such as cocaine, heroine, or ecstasy. Drugs that are making their way into schools and wreaking a havoc of overdose related teen deaths should be a larger concern for police and officials to concern themselves with than that of marijuana.

The very same money being spent on preventing it...