marijuana
by slim gizzad
Posted to Poetry and Politics on 2003-08-10 09:27:00
People around North America think that marijuana is a harmful and addictive illegal drug. They believe that it causes several forms of cancer, and is a gateway drug to more hardcore drugs like heroin and cocaine. However marijuana has several benefits. Marijuana is known to help in various treatments such as aids and cancer therapy. It also helps ease symptoms of glaucoma, arthritis, multiple sclerosis and many others. Marijuana should be decriminalized for medical and recreational use.
Marijuana is not as addictive and harmful as some government officials say. Marijuana is a better alternative than alcohol and cigarettes for stress release. (Marijuana has been used as a medicine since antiquity, but Canadian and U.S. anti-drug laws have kept physician from prescribing it or testing its benefits.) 1 North American teens may be less inclined to “light-up” if the drug was legal like alcohol and tobacco. Liberal Senator Colin Kenny said, (making pot legal will actually result in a decreased use of marijuana. The attractiveness of the substance is it’s illegal.) 2 this doesn’t mean that its okay for a sixteen year old the smoke pot. A spokesman for Canadian Center on Substance Abuse in Ottawa, (there are still some social consequences of making it legal for teenagers to use marijuana. Kids are still very vulnerable when they’re 16 and 17 years old. Will it kill them? No, but it might prevent them from being a productive member of society.) 3 Many men and women find relief in the “gateway” drug. (Ms. Harichy smokes marijuana to relieve the symptoms of multiple sclerosis and boost her appetite, which is hampered by bouts of anorexia nervosa.) 4 Dr. Paul O’Connor, director of St. Michael’s Hospital is quoted (it certainly deserves a clinical study so we can get a scientific answer. Patients [with MS] have told me quite frequently that marijuana improves their balance, tremors and general well being and endurance.) 5 marijuana has more positives than negatives.
Marijuana can help with the government’s large debt. Millions of dollars are circulated world wide tax-free without the government knowing about it. The trend in the last few years for marijuana dealers is to set-up their own “grow house” in the popular suburban area of York region. (60 marijuana labs raided in York region.) 6 Inspector john nielsen (most of the houses involved in pot-growing operations are rented with the occupants staying for several months before packing up and after causing over $50,000 in damage. If these people can set-up large scale “grow house” just imagine what they can accomplish with govenment approval. Government funding might be out of the question, but allowing the dealer(s) or pot farmer to use there own money with a taxing system then many people can profit, government included.
With some public input the government can turn the illegal drug into money making decriminalized bank. (51% of Canadians say having the drug should not be a crime.) 7 millions are wasted trying to control the widespread use of this drug.
Many Canadian courts fill up with minor drug offences. All this ties up judges and Lawerys who could be involved in more important cases and trails. Pot smokers are not criminals. Terry Parker, an epileptic (they spend millions to incarcerate us, it makes no sense) 8 the cost of policing and prosecuting the drug is a very high number. (The annual cost of drug enforcement is estimated between $700,000 and $1 billion. In 2000-20001 the cost of prosecuting was $57 million, with roughly 10 percent or $5 million of the total budget related to the prosecuting cannabis-possession offences.) 9 senator Colin Kenny (the senator estimate it costs Canada up to $1.5-billion dollars annually to prosecute drug charges. Almost a third of those cases involve marijuana charges.) 10 the money being spent and wasted could go to the research of the medical benefits of THC-tetrahydrocannabinol or Marijuana.
The decriminalization of marijuana can help benefit the sick people who use it as medicine. Can create more jobs in economics sectors like agriculture, transportation, business, and health research. It may also free up much needed time and space in Canadian courts, and with proper regulation can help the economy grow. Marijuana is not a harmful and addictive drug. Marijuana is a harmless and effective medical drug.
