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Why Marijuana Should Not Be Criminalized

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Why Marijuana Should Not Be Criminalized
Why Marijuana should not be Criminalized

The decriminalization of marijuana is constantly debated by the Canadian government. As a society, it is necessary that we properly conduct measures to ensure that the users of this dangerous drug are penalized with more than just a fine. The only way to emphasize the seriousness of this drug is severe jail time. Marijuana has been classified under the Controlled Substances Act of 1970 as a schedule 1 drug due to its addictive nature. These addictive drugs tend to take control of people’s lives. If decriminalized, people will go to work or school disoriented by the effects of marijuna, which would keep them from working at maximum capacity. It is the government’s responsibilty to start punishing regular marijuana users, which will set an example to other citizens on the seriousness of this perilous drug. To the naked eye, marijuana is a natural plant that grows from the earth. However, scientific research proves that there are many dangerous effects of marijuana to which the public has no knowledge of. These effects include toxins and cancer inducing chemicals, damaged brain cells, memory loss, and weakening of our immune systems. As Canadians, we cannot condone the use of a drug that affects our citizens in a harmful manner.

The only acceptable form of marijuana is for medicinal use, but the government needs to do a much better job in controlling who is able to get an ‘Authorization to Possess card’. It is unacceptable for citizens to fake diseases to attain these cards, punishment must be more severe for the fraudulent actions of these individuals. We must grant the police more power to allow the search of suspects involved with marijuana and other drugs to protect our society.

To ensure that we maintain a strong, safe society we must continue to ban the use of drugs like marijuana, which cause individuals to act in a way that makes them harmful to themselves and others. It is immoral to use



Bibliography: Greene, Stephen H. "Why Marijuana Should Remain Illegal." The New York Times. The New York Times, 26 Feb. 1994. Web. 14 Mar. 2013. <http://www.nytimes.com/1994/02/26/opinion/l-why-marijuana-should-remain-illegal-310506.html>. Murphy, Terry, Kathleen Elliot, Agi Mete, and Jamie Glass. All About Law Exploring the Canadian Legal System. 6th ed. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print Head, Tom. "Why Is Marijuana Illegal?" About.com Civil Liberties. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2013. <http://civilliberty.about.com/od/drugpolicy/tp/Why-is-Marijuana-Illegal.htm>.

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