Marijuana Legalization In Canada

drug, while bringing in revenue for the government. If Canada wishes to legalize marijuana, they should follow the guidelines of the United States using policy diffusion. “Canada should follow the developments of changes in marijuana-related regulations in the United States, where some of its states viz, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, and Alaska have already legalized recreational use of marijuana” (Hajizadeh 455). Policy diffusion is a very intriguing tool for the Canadian government to use in the situation involving legalizing marijuana. “Although experience of legalization in these states is different from the national legalization in Canada, these examples still can provide valuable information during the drafting of the new law in Canada.”
Political culture is the sum total of the politically relevant values, beliefs, attitudes, identities, and orientations in a society. A society’s political culture sets the outer boundaries for what is and isn’t acceptable political behavior. Currently in Canada and the United States, political culture has caused many complications involving marijuana. “The status of marijuana in Canada dates back to 1923. Marijuana then was banned under the Opium and Drug Act and its possession or use was deemed illegal” (Graham 23). As the drug has been illegal for so long, many citizens are fearful of negative effects. Many propose that since it hasn’t been legal for so long, there must be a valid reason for it. Though there may be some proven negative health effects from the usage of marijuana, there are also positive ones. For negative effects, teenagers and youth can be victims of marijuana. “Studies show that teenagers’ use can lead to negative physical, psychological, and behavioral consequences, such as chronic cough and Bronchitis, memory deficits, and a loss of up to 8 points in IQ” (Hickenlooper, 246). Marijuana doesn’t just affect the youth though. “Although middle-class users may develop dependency problems, generally, “heavy users” tend to be poor and socially marginalized, using drugs regularly as a means of regular escape, and consequently running a greater risk of developing serious drug problems” (Osborne 562). The problem with the legalization of marijuana is that members of society may become dependent on the drug, as well as children may be able to obtain the substance through their family members. This gives the idea of recreational marijuana a bad reputation as some members of society will view it as a detriment to people’s livelihoods. On the other hand, supporters of marijuana will argue that alcohol and tobacco have negative effects on society as well, but it is still being sold