Pros and Cons of Cannabis Legalization in Canada - Essay Sample

Introduction

Marijuana is considered to have medicinal benefits to many people while others firmly believe that it is harmful and a gateway drug. Others attribute marijuana to a higher potential for abuse that can result in adverse psychological and physical dependence. The first occurrence of marijuana burning in Canada was in 1923, which marked 14 years before it was legalized in the United States (Dyer, O. (2015). The number of convicts accounted for 2% of the arrests in Canada in 1961 and significantly rose in consecutive years, may attributing to the "hippie culture" and increasing tourists in the country (Dyer, 2015). Since October 17, 2018, Canada's government officially legalized Marijuana; this legalization has encountered many risks and also the number of benefits to which Marijuana bring.

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The Risks of Marijuana

Mental Illness

Short term illness

The short term effects of intoxication of marijuana results in the alterations of the normal functioning of the brain leading to the psychological experience of feeling high. Marijuana contains tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) chemicals that impairs short-term memory, and one may have trouble remembering things; however, it is temporary and fades away with time. THC results in a problem in encoding memories when one is high on marijuana as well as challenges in short term recall.

Moreover, it is responsible for a mind-altering effect that though, concentration, pleasure, as well and sensory and memory. Use of marijuana impairs the thinking of an individual and their ability to form new memories, moreover, it triggers confusion, anxiety, and panic. High level intake of marijuana can result in depression and deteriorating bipolar patients with schizophrenia. The use of Marijuana results in increasing symptoms of psychosis such as impaired memory, cognition, and processing of external stimuli which as short term mental illness.

Long term illness

Individuals diagnosed with cannabis use have higher rates of mental disorders that include depression, anxiety. Studies have linked the use of marijuana to a higher risk of anxiety and panic attacks among adolescent later in their life. Conversely, other researches relate marijuana as self-medication to individuals with anxiety coupled with other factors such as childhood trauma and poverty. Marijuana triggers depression and mood disorders later in life; individuals who smoke pot often are more likely to develop depression and anxiety compared to non-smokers.

Moreover, users of marijuana complicate further bipolar disorder, which causes changing experiences of depression. This may affect a user later in life where they may feel sad, hopeless tired and may develop suicidal thought. During the manic phase of the illness, users might experience increased levels of energy, insomnia and psychosis is adverse instances.

The Reaction of the Body

Marijuana is often associated with respiratory problems since it contains substances such as ammonia that irritates the lungs. This causes increased coughing and acute chest illnesses including bronchitis coupled with lung infections. Regular smoking of cannabis can result from coughing and increases the chances of lung infections; moreover, it may worsen prevailing respiratory illnesses including asthma. Smoking cannabis can increase the risk of lung cancer, although there is varied research regarding the association between lung cancer and marijuana. The circulatory system is also affected by smoking marijuana, increase heartbeat ratio that can prolong for up to three hours, which can increase the risk of heart attack. According to a study done by NIDA, marijuana reduces the amount of sperm production in men and interrupts the menstrual cycle among women. Moreover, NIDA established that "approximately 30% of marijuana users have a certain degree of marijuana use disorder" (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2018). Long term marijuana users who try to quit experience similar symptoms like those seeking to leave other types of drugs such as restlessness, cravings and reduced appetite.

The Advantage of Marijuana

Safer Than Others Legalized Drug

Generally, marijuana is a relatively safe drug because it is relatively less harmful compared to some other legal drugs. Moreover, marijuana is beneficial to health as it is a medicinal drug. The dangerous aspect of marijuana appears to be relatively small. Compared to alcohol, nicotine, cocaine and heroin, the risks of consuming alcohol are significant since it is associated with higher death risks. Therefore, governments should use scientific evidence from research to develop policies concerning the use of illicit drugs in their countries. A study done by the University of Colorado Boulder examined the effects of marijuana and alcohol on the brain. They established that "long term consumption of alcohol adversely affects the structure of the brain while marijuana did not have substantial effects" (Haberstick et al., 2010). Tucker et al. 2019 "examined and compared young adults with or without a medical marijuana recommendation from a provider on developmental trajectories of frequent marijuana use and related problems to the young." They established that young adults with medical marijuana more likely reported negative consequences and reduction of its consumption in the past three years

Affect the Economy

Legalizing marijuana has tremendous benefits to the economies of Canada at both the local and national level. Legalization of marijuana leads to increases in tax revenue of Canada. In 2015, the sales of marijuana amounted to over nine hundred million dollars, and the tax collected from selling this cannabis amounted to one hundred and thirty-five million dollars. The money may be used for improving learning institutions, funding public projects, fixing the roads, and hiring more police.

Cannabis helps in the creation of jobs in a country. The New Frontier indicates that legalizing marijuana can create more than a million jobs in Canada. These jobs can originate from people working in the farms, processing plants, distribution stores, and the retail shops of the cannabis plant. Investors can also benefit from the long-term growth of cannabis industries.

Medicinal Value

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved cannabis as a pill known as dronabinol and nabilone to treat nausea in the patients receiving cancer treatment through chemotherapy. "The pill is used in stimulating appetite to the patients with wasting syndrome because of AIDS. Also, Nabiximals which is a mouth spray contains some marijuana and is used to treat the spasticity and neuropathic pain that can accompany multiple sclerosis" (FDA, 2018).

Medical marijuana can be used to treat other diseases like Alzheimer's disease, eating disorders, epilepsy, post-traumatic stress disorder, glaucoma, and Cohn's disease. The medical marijuana helps in reducing depression, reducing inflammation and pain, killing cancerous cells and slowing tumor growth, controlling nausea caused by cancer chemotherapy, and stimulating appetite (Karst, 2018). Wall et al. (2019) established that marijuana medical users are more likely to use it for evidence-based medical motives and they may exhibit a lower prevalence of associated disorders of the substance compared to other marijuana users. Most patients use marijuana for psychiatric disorders.

Conclusion

Cannabis is considered to have medicinal benefits to many people while others firmly believe that it is harmful and a gateway drug. Generally, marijuana has been identified to have positive and negative impacts on the country and its citizens. Marijuana causes long-term illnesses and short-term illnesses. The benefits of marijuana include increased tax revenue of a state, the creation of jobs, and treatment of various diseases like Alzheimer's disease, and eating disorders. It is essential to legalize marijuana as it has more benefits to the country.

References

Dyer, O. (2015). Canada is to legalize recreational marijuana. Bmj. doi:10.1136/bmj.h6758

FDA grants first approval of a cannabis-derived medicine. (2018). The Pharmaceutical Journal. doi:10.1211/pj.2018.20205071

Haberstick, B. C., Zeiger, J. S., Corley, R. P., Hopfer, C. J., Stallings, M. C., Rhee, S. H., & Hewitt, J. K. (2010). Common and drug-specific genetic influences on subjective effects to alcohol, tobacco and marijuana use. Addiction, 106(1), 215-224. doi:10.1111/j.1360-0443.2010.03129.x

Karst, A. (2018). Weighing the Benefits and Risks of Medical Marijuana Use: A Brief Review. Pharmacy, 6(4), 128. doi:10.3390/pharmacy6040128

National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2018). Marijuana Drug Facts. Retrieved March 29, 2019, from https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/marijuana

Tucker, J. S., Rodriguez, A., Pedersen, E. R., Seelam, R., Shih, R. A., & D'Amico, E. J. (2019). Greater risk for frequent marijuana use and problems among young adult marijuana users with a medical marijuana card. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 194, 178-183. doi:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2018.09.028

Wall, M. M., Liu, J., Hasin, D. S., Blanco, C., & Olfson, M. (2019). Use of marijuana exclusively for medical purposes. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 195, 13-15. doi:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2018.11.009