Recently, Canada has announced its decision to legalize marijuana for recreational use. The decision was finalized on October 17, after the Senate in Canada passed a “historic” bill consisting of a vote of 52-29. In the United States, marijuana has been legalized in Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, and the District of Columbia. In Canada, however, it has been legalized for the entire country, but different provinces have different laws as to how to control the substance. The reasoning behind this legalization was that the government believed it would be a much safer and effective alternative than buying drugs illegally and giving the money to criminals. Since young people had been purchasing the drug from unknown, untrustable sources and mistreating the drug, government officials firmly believe that the legalization of it will prevent mishandling of both the drug and the money that is acquired from it. The revenue that will be made will significantly benefit the economy, as more and more individuals have found themselves using marijuana. Companies like Canopy Growth Corporation, Aphria Incorporated, and Aurora Cannabis are expecting to increase production dramatically in the next few months for marijuana users.

Although the drug has been legalized for recreational use, many citizens utilize it for medicinal use. Cannabis has been proven to aid in the curing of a handful of diseases, as it reduces nausea, decreases pain and swelling, and aids in muscle control problems. The legalization of this drug poses both benefits and consequences. The benefits include the fact that the government will now monitor users since it will have all the records of purchases as well as how much is sold to each individual, and revenue will be going towards the government instead of private sellers. The cons of passing this law include the fact that although the government will be regulating many individuals, some may still be buying and selling illegal amounts. In addition, its use might get out of hand, becoming a health and safety problem. In interviews with the student body and faculty, I found that there are many mixed opinions about this topic. When asked about his opinion on the legalization of marijuana in Canada, Mr. Furstein, a math teacher, stated, “I believe that is a good idea for the country of Canada. The United States should also look into legalizing marijuana since its use has been getting out of hand recently.” Aidan Maestas, a senior, also believes that marijuana should be legalized since “so many people are already illegally smoking, so why not make it legal?” However, Arul Gupta, a senior, believes, “Marijuana should not be legalized in the United States due to the number of people that will misuse this privilege.” Lastly, Caitlin Griffin and Navya Mongia both believe that “Marijuana is definitely not as harmful as other drugs, but right when Canada legalized it, there was a drug shortage, so this could be a sign that people have started to overuse it.”

Although there are many differing opinions about the topic, it seems as if the legalization of marijuana in Canada has benefited the economy, while also allowing the government to control substance use. Although only five states in the United States have made marijuana legal for recreational use, many other states are now on the path of doing so as well, especially after the fact that Canada has legalized it now as well. What do you think? Should all 50 states legalize the drug that has become the new buzz lately? Would our economy benefit from legalizing the plant that has taken over the world? Now that our neighboring country has done it, should we?