5 Reasons Why Marijuana Became Legal in Canada

On the 17^th of October 2018, a collective shout of victory rang throughout Canada as the effective date of Cannabis legalization arrived. People could suddenly just walk in to an authorized seller and make off with their weed, after paying for it of course, then saunter on happily and eventually float in bliss in one’s own home –pure poetry. And people started queuing up even before the store opens as if it were a new iPhone. If you were ever looking for a connection between Apple and weed, well there you go.

For many people, whether they used cannabis or not, it was an actual victory in light of the government’s drug war being an actual losing battle. That war does still rage on, but a very big enemy has been taken out of the equation and possibly turned ally. An industry that cost the Canadian government millions to fight against will now potentially turn that loss into income through taxes and other means. Analysts estimate that the government can make at least $4 billion from taxes alone in 2019, a totally new source of revenue.

Even before its legalization, cannabis was considered to be the most widely used narcotic in Canada. This is in part due to its milder effects and lack of long term damage compared to drugs like cocaine and meth. But even with it being illegal, the use was widespread and enforcement was lackluster to say the least, allowing for underage access through various black markets. Now that it is legal and out of the shadows, it becomes accessible from authorized sellers who can be very discriminate to whom they sell it to.

There are a lot of reasons why Cannabis should be legalized anywhere, not just Canada. Here are 5 reasons why marijuana became legal in Canada.

5 Reasons Why Marijuana Became Legal in Canada

To keep it out of reach of minors

Teenagers can be very rebellious; it’s just how they are wired. So telling them that they cannot do or get something would only pique their curiosity and would probably even do it as an ef you to the powers that be, plus there is huge social pressure to do it. But people can be patient, so if you tell them they can have it but they need to jump through hoops to get it, they are more likely to try that rather than break laws that have dire consequences. People are social animals and would rather do what the majority perceives as right rather than the converse, if it can be helped.

Ineffective war on drugs

The war against drugs can never be won. No country has ever won it and no country ever will, as evidenced by any news outlet out there. It is very costly in terms of time, money, and lives. The most one can do is to consider addiction as a disease and then try and treat it instead of jailing all of the addicts. Addicts are aware of their situation and actually want to be rid of their affliction, but cannot without real help. So if we can cure addiction or at least minimize it, we can decrease the market.

There is little evidence of the long term harm of Cannabis

Very little evidence shows that cannabis can do any long term damage to the body. There really is no reason to restrict a drug that does not cause long term harm. The real problem is with intoxication and what one tends to do during this. And if that is the only reason, alcohol should really get the same bad rap as cannabis. It’s good to review guidelines around taking cannabinoids safely.

Cannabis has potential medical benefits

Aside from lacking any proven long term negative effects, scientists are seeing marijuana’s major medical benefits for treating various ailments, from chronic pain and sleeping disorders to epilepsy, AIDS, and even cancer. Indeed, marijuana can be administered a variety of ways such as through topicals, edibles, capsules and much more as you can see if you visit our shop. It can even be safely given to your pet! It has been long overdue that cannabis should undergo extensive research in order to find its benefits, but it has been really hard to do that because of the restrictions placed on it due to it being labeled as a Schedule I drug. Hopefully, as more countries embrace the benefits of cannabis legalization, more and more research will be done towards its beneficial medical properties.

It is a great source of revenue for the government

Last but not least, there’s the revenue it will bring in for Canada. Cannabis production and distribution is a very lucrative business, legal or otherwise. It’s worth billions of dollars for a single use-case alone–as a recreational drug. With the legalization of Cannabis, other use-cases can be tapped into, with the government having regulatory control on all of them. We can start to produce industrial hemp again, there will be a new medical market for cannabinoid compounds and all that it entails, such as increased production requirements and scientific research. The possibilities are certainly not endless, but there are a lot to be gained monetarily.

Of course there are more than five reasons why Canada legalized marijuana, but this provides a small glimpse into the potential benefits of cannabis legalization.