To Legalize or to Not Legalize: The Debate Behind Marijuana in Canada The legalization of marijuana is an issue that consistently discussed and debated, not only in North America, but throughout the entire world. Despite being illegal in every country, marijuana remains the most widely used illicit drug in the world. The popularity of this drug is the cause for the continuous legalization debate, resulting in various legislations pertaining to the consumption of the substance. Every country has its own stance on the issue, however, the Netherlands has a unique policy on marijuana use: it is decriminalized, classified as a "soft drug" and possession is limited to 5 grams in public or 30 grams in a private area. There are also Dutch …show more content…

Also, once legalized, citizens would most likely be able to grow small amounts of the substance on their own, again reducing the demand for black market product. Aside from the sales aspect, legalization would result in less charges and arrests laid upon those breaking the law, many times for simple possession. This would lead to law enforcement services having time freed to be able to deal with more serious crimes. Reduction of crime is an aspect that anyone would appreciate, no matter their stance on the drug. A number of studies have been done to investigate the medical benefits of marijuana, and majority of those studies have proven that marijuana does indeed contain medical properties. Cannabis contains properties that have shown to treat a variety of ailments, including: glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, cancer, and HIV/AIDS. Despite the results of such studies, cannabis has not been explored to its full medical potential due to its legal status. However, medical cannabis is available in Canada and other parts of the world for those who qualify. Medical cannabis is used to treat the previously described ailments, along with chronic pain. Those who use cannabis to treat chronic pain find it more effective compared to other pharmaceutical alternatives, and does not contain the high number of negative side effects that some over the counter drugs may inflict. Through legalization, further research