Pros And Cons Of Legalizing Marijuana

Today is 4/20 Day, a public celebration of pot use that takes place every year. To mark the day, thousands of people gather to protest what they claim are archaic pot laws. But does legalizing marijuana make sense? According to Dr. Tim Stockwell, director of UVic’s Centre for Addictions Research of BC (CARBC), the answer is “yes.”
       “It's not a completely benign substance but on a scale of harm it rates below alcohol and tobacco as well as cocaine and heroin,” says Stockwell. “There are possible gateway effects as well as impacts on mental health; there are possible adverse impacts on cancer. The question comes down to whether it's more effective to use prohibition supported by the full force of the law or to regulate the availability more like tobacco.”
       Stockwell adds: “It’s interesting that rates of cannabis use by youth are now higher than they are for tobacco. There is evidence that decriminalizing or even legalizing cannabis does not result in increased use or increased harm. There may even be substitution effects that are beneficial, for example, fewer people drinking and driving and fewer crashes.”
        CARBC’s data suggests that roughly half the adult population of BC have used cannabis at some time in their lives.

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