The Legalization of Cannabis

By: Margaret Koca

The legalization of Cannabis!

(Target Audience Parents)

Has the government of Ontario lost their minds? The legalization of cannabis is a threat to our society both mentally and physically. Like all of you, I want to ensure that the future is safe for my loved ones but the legalization is creating a safety hazard for our homes. Cannabis is defined as a cannabinoid drug. The drug is formed by using dried leaves and flower buds from the cannabis plant that is then used to be smoked, eaten or vaporized (ADF - Drug Facts - Cannabis, Weed, Marijuana). The drug mainly consists of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which has shown to have many negative impacts on an individual’s mind and body. Cannabis will cause a user to feel at least one of the following long-term effects; difficulty retaining or learning concepts, as well as reducing your ability to perform well on the job, or can cause poor mental health, and it could even cause you to have trouble breathing from the same harmful substances as tobacco smoke (Canada, 2018). In addition, by legalizing cannabis we have created more accessibility to minors. If you were to consider how many negative effects cannabis has on a fully developed brain, imagine the damage cannabis has on the underdeveloped brains of your children.

That’s not all, cannabis is said to be a gateway drug that increases the users’ probability of taking up hard drugs like cocaine or heroin, which poses an even greater threat to the public. Many cannabis users are unaware that when smoking what seems like a harmless drug, they have pushed themselves into an inevitable position of transitioning into more “hardcore” drugs like cocaine and heroin. The Health Econometric and Data Group (HEDG) of York University observed the sequential patterns of drug use, in order to confirm that there is an increased risk of starting to consume a more harmful drug, like heroin after first having used a soft drug like cannabis. Although, not all people who use cannabis go on to use other drugs, using cannabis lowers inhibitions regarding drug use and exposes users to a culture that encourages the use of other drugs. The risk of using cocaine has been estimated to be over 100 times greater for those who have tried cannabis than for those who do not consume it (Melberg, Bretteville-Jensen, & Jones, 2007). Do you still think cannabis is harmless? Knowing that a huge majority of cannabis users will begin to use heroin and cocaine. Imagining the streets filled with addicted crackhead, as your children are walking home from school or as your coming home from work.

Legalization of this substance is morally wrong, even in regards to medical purposes. Many individuals argue that cannabis should be legalized for medical purposes, to decrease pain and suffering in terminally ill patients. But