DO YOU THINK MARIJUANA SHOULD BE LEGALIZED?

The UN released a drug report in 2007 stating a startling fact; 16.8
per cent of Canadians aged 15 to 64 smoked marijuana or used another
cannabis product in 2006. Canada ranks fifth in the world behind
Ghana, Zambia, Papua New Guinea and Micronesia. Remarkably, the world
average is 3.8 per cent. When it comes to the legalization of
marijuana, the debate can get heated.

Those opposed to the legalization state it could lead to more criminal
actiivty and it could lead to the use of other drugs -- marijuana is
ofen called a gateway drug. Many believe marijuana is just as bad or
worse than smoking tobacco, as it can lead to problems with memory,
increased heart rate and an increased risk of lung infections and the
impairment of the immune system, just to name a few.

Arguments for the legalization of marijuana include the fact that a
lot of court time is taken up for small possession amounts; those with
the small amounts had it on their person for recreational use and not
for sale. Eliminate some of the pettier charges to make room for
harder criminals waiting to go on trial.

With roughly 14 per cent of Canadians using marijuana -- according to
a 2004 Statistics Canada survey -- should we not be looking at
decriminalizing it?

Last spring, Liberal Keith Martin introduced a Private Member's Bill
- -- Bill C359 -- to amend the Contraventions Act and the Controlled
Drugs and Substances Act (Marijuana). The bill got as far as first
reading. Martin argued the bill would decriminalize the simple
possession of marijuana under 30 grams and the possession of two or
fewer plants. He stated that would sever the ties between the casual
user and organized crime gangs -- it would eliminate demand for their
product and significantly undermine the financial underpinnings of
organized crime gangs in Canada. Possession would still be illegal but
people would receive fines rather than going through the expensive
judicial system.

And how much revenue, tax revenue, would the provinces take in if the
substance was legal? $34 billion per year in B.C. alone. Pumping that
money back into local economies is a win-win. According to Martin,
$150 million in court costs would be saved each year if marijuana were
decriminalized. More money back into provincial coffers. It's
something to think about.