A Healthy Canada No Marijuana

Running head: A HEALTHY CANADA: NO MARIJUANA 1

A Healthy Canada: No Marijuana

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A HEALTHY CANADA: NO MARIJUANA 2

A Healthy Canada: No Marijuana

Why are so many governments in a dilemma over the legal status of marijuana?

Everybody will agree that this plant grows naturally on planet earth. Markedly, the drug culture

uses literary diatribes and other tactics to show the world how life would be boring in the

absence of stimulants. Further, there are arguments that music, art, and literature only thrive in

the contemporary world due to the benefits arising from the use of marijuana and other mind-

altering substances (Webster, 2001). Notably, some people maintain that cannabis has more

benefits to humans than there is harm to their health, work, and social relations. However, most

societies have long waged war against the stimulant in equal measure. In Canada, there is

ongoing controversy over its use for medicinal and recreational purposes, while some studies

indicate that it is not fit for human consumption. In supporting their arguments, the opponents of

this plant point numerous reasons, such as its effects on mental health, physical wellbeing, and

its contribution to social break ups. Although research indicates a likely use of marijuana for

medical treatment, Canada should not legalize this drug since it precipitates mental problems

besides being a physical health hazard to users and decimating people's lives.

Marijuana should not be legal in Canada since it is a source of mental problems for users.

According to Moore et al. (2007), there are increased chances of psychotic habits in people who

use cannabis. Results of seven studies indicated that smoking marijuana amplified the risk of

developing psychosis by about 40%. Given that these effects are directly proportional to the

length of cannabis exposure, young users are more likely to exhibit mental disorders at an older

age due to prolonged use. As such, marijuana should be illegalized in Canada to protect mental

health, especially in young people. Besides psychotic disorders, cannabis increases chances of

depression and anxiety in users. A report by Patton et al. (2002) indicates that teenage girls have

A HEALTHY CANADA: NO MARIJUANA 3

shown signs of anxiety and depression in later ages after using the drug frequently. Over 60% of

the participants in the study had used marijuana at the age of 20. Markedly, the results of the

research indicated that those who used the stimulant daily reported incidences of anxiety and

depression by more than five times than those who used it occasionally. In this view, it is

apparent that the drug is an ingredient of mental problems in users, especially in teenage girls.

Therefore, it is important for the Canadian government to illegalize the plant to prevent such

effects in its young citizenry. Besides the above mental problems, there are indications that

marijuana use has an effect on conduct behavior, which is an issue of mental health. A

psychiatric study by Rey, Sawyer, Raphael, Patton, and Lynskey (2002) indicates that the

widespread smoking of cannabis has led to more conduct problems besides depression and

excessive drinking habits. Notably, the use of cannabis precipitates the development of attention

deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which is a mental disorder that shows patterns of

inattention. In this regard, legalizing marijuana use in Canada will increase cases of mental

problems in young people, and therefore, it should not be allowed.

Cannabis smoking is a threat to the physical health of users. Mostly, people use

marijuana by smoking, which goes directly through bronchioles into the lungs. Like tobacco and

other smoking drugs, its smoke contains toxins and carcinogens that enter the human body

during combustion. According to Hanson, Venturelli, and Fleckenstein (2006), marijuana smoke

causes chronic bronchitis by causing minute injuries to the cell linings of the airways. Such

occurrences are the reason for chronic coughs that are synonymous with cannabis users. Other

symptoms that indicate problems with air tubes due to marijuana smoke include wheezing and

phlegm production. Therefore, allowing marijuana use in Canada will increase cases of lung

diseases in the country. Besides harming the lungs, use of weed causes impaired immune system

A HEALTHY CANADA: NO MARIJUANA 4

in users. Compounds found in marijuana smoke hurt human body's ability to resist bacteria,

viruses, and fungi among other pathogens (ElSohly, 2007). Such findings indicate that users of

this stimulant have less ability to resist infections hence increased chances of contracting

diseases. Besides, the drug can change the backup safeguards of the immune structure since it

affects different cell types in the body. Given that the human body has difficulties screening out

and eliminate infectious elements in cannabis users' physiology, legalizing this stimulant

translates to increased health problems in the country. Besides the above physical problems

linked to marijuana use, there is an impaired motor skill. Research by Block et al. (2000)

indicates that people who use marijuana have less motor coordination than normal people. In this

view, they have poor dexterity in fine movements when performing their duties. Such effects

may result in injuries emanating from poor judgment while driving or operating other machinery.

Therefore, it is apparent that allowing public use of the stimulant will increase casualties as more

people are likely to cause traffic accidents and other injuries. In this view, marijuana in Canada

should be illegal.

Cannabis use hurts lives of people in areas of education, workplace, and family.

Persistent use of this stimulant causes damages to cognitive abilities (Omar et al., 2013).

Although the degree of impairment is directly proportional to the age at which a person starts

using the stimulant, it is a huge concern for students' progress in academic performance. Notably,

marijuana affects parts of the brain that control learning, memory, and impulse control hence

affecting the cognitive development of learners. Consequently, some students may drop out of

school while others record dismal intellectual performances, which affect their lives. Considering

this factor, Canada should not allow the use of this drug as it will lead to low national

educational standards and destruction of peoples' careers. In addition to the educational loss,

A HEALTHY CANADA: NO MARIJUANA 5

marijuana is a causative agent of workplace injuries that culminates to the destruction of peoples'

lives. According to Ramchand, Pomeroy, and Arkes (2009), a significant proportion of injuries

reported in most workplaces emanate from drug-related malpractices that include marijuana and

other substances abuse. The effects of cannabis use at work include impaired vision, hangover,

fatigue, and dismal judgment. Additionally, its ability to compromise motor skill coordination is

also an ingredient of most occupational injuries. While some of these incidences lead to

fatalities, others culminate to incapacitation and others to the loss of a job. Since these factors are

inevitable in any human being, Canada should consider illegalizing cannabis since it destroys

peoples' lives. Even though there are people who hold that marijuana is not addictive, there are

several medical studies that indicate otherwise. Marijuana is an addictive substance like other

drugs when used for a long time (Compton, 2016). In this view, such people cannot perform

normal duties without the influence of the stimulant. Further, cannabis lowers motivation in

people, which leads to decreased productivity in the workplace and other activities. The effects

of such features include family break-ups, loss of jobs, and financial breakdown. Given these

factors, it is important that Canada should retract its efforts towards legalizing marijuana as it

will lead to low national productivity.

In the light of the associations made to cannabis use and various aspects of life, it is

important to have a profound stand on its legality. The contrasting positions between opponents

of legal marijuana and its proponents continue to fuel the debate on whether it should be legal.

Despite the presence of various studies that recommend marijuana for medical and recreational

purposes, there are a lot of other negative attributions made to its use such as mental health,

physical well-being, and its effects on peoples' lives. From the analysis of its effects on the brain

of the smoker, the physical damages caused by its influence, and the disastrous outcomes on

A HEALTHY CANADA: NO MARIJUANA 6

social lives of the users, it is apparent that this drug is not ideal for Canadians. Therefore, the

Canadian government should consider evaluating all the identified consequences before allowing

the use of this stimulant by its citizens. Besides causing inherent harm to the smoker, this paper

has shown that marijuana has far-reaching implications for the economy and social welfare of

Canadian people. As such, this report reiterates that marijuana should be illegal in Canada to

ensure a healthy nation and for the sake of all stakeholders.

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References

Block, R. I., O’Leary, D.S., Hichwa, R.D., Augustinack, J.C., Ghoeneim, M.M., Arndt, S., ...

Andreason N.C. (2000). Cerebellar hypoactivity in frequent marijuana users. Neuropot,

749-753.

Retrieved November 15, 2016 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10757513

Compton, M. T. (2016). Marijuana and Mental Health. Virginia: American Psychiatric

Publications.

ElSohly, M. A. (2007). Marijuana and the cannabinoids. New Jersey: Springer Science &

Business Media. Retrieved November 15, 2016 from http://www.hampapartiet.se/09.pdf

Hanson, G. R., Venturelli, P. J., & Fleckenstein, A. E. (2006). Drugs and Society. Massachusetts:

Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Moore, T. H., Zammit, S., Hughes, L. A., Barnes, T.E., Jones, P.B., Burke & M. Lewis, G.

(2007). Cannabis use and risk of psychotic or affective mental health outcomes: a

systematic review. The Lancet, 319–328. Doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(07)61162-3

Omar, M. E., Salem, N.A., El-Sayed, E.M., Al-Said, A.N., Seid, H.N. & El-Khyat, Z.A. (2013).

Cannabis-induced impairment of learning and memory: effect of different nootropic

drugs . EXCLI Journal, 193-214. Retrieved November 15, 2016 from

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26417227

Patton, G. C., Coffey, C., Carlin, J.B., Degenhardt, L., Lynskey, M. & Hall, W. (2002). Cannabis

use and mental health in young people: cohort study. British Medical Journal, 1199-

1212. Doi: 10.1136/bmj.325.7374.1195

Ramchand, R., Pomeroy, A., & Arkes, J. (2009). The effects of substance use on workplace

injuries. Virginia: RAND Corporation.

A HEALTHY CANADA: NO MARIJUANA 8

Rey, J. M., Sawyer, M. G., Raphael, B., Patton, G. C., & Lynskey, M. (2002). Mental health of

teenagers who use cannabis. British Journal of Psychiatry, 216-221. Retrieved November

15, 2016 from http://bjp.rcpsych.org/content/180/3/216

Webster, P. (2001). Marijuana and music: A Speculative exploration. Journal of Cannabis

Therapeutics, 93-105. Retrieved November 15, 2016 from http://cannabis-

med.org/data/pdf/2001-02-4.pdf

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