In 2018, the Canadian government legalized marijuana, a decision that has attracted widespread attention and heated discussions around the world.
At the time, people were full of curiosity about the consequences of this decision: what would Canada look like after the cannabis epidemic?
Now, six years later, we have to ask: what happened to Canada, and what impact has the legalization of marijuana had on the country?
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Wave of marijuana legalization
At present, the trend of cannabis legalization has swept many developed countries, including the United States, Canada, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Austria, the Netherlands, Australia, and Spain, among others.
There are two main forms of legalization of marijuana in these countries: recreational legalization and medical legalization.
Recreational marijuana has been legalized in some developed countries and regions, such as Canada, some states in the United States, and the Australian Capital Territory.
There are some differences in the legality of the commercial sale of cannabis in these regions.
In the Netherlands, for example, sales are only allowed in licensed stores. The cannabis legalization policies in these countries have led to a decline in the number of drug crimes, but it has also caused some social problems.
Some fear that the legalization of marijuana could lead to more serious drug problems, which in turn will affect social stability and public health.
In contrast, there is a wider range of countries and regions where medical marijuana is legalized.
These include countries such as Australia, the Netherlands, Canada, Germany, Portugal, Italy, New Zealand, Switzerland, and South Korea.
South Korea, for example, has also passed laws that allow its use for medical purposes and allow the introduction and use of drugs containing cannabis.
Germany legalized medical marijuana in 2017, making it one of the largest medical marijuana markets in Europe.
Not only developed countries, but also some developing countries are promoting the legalization of marijuana.
For example, countries and regions such as Thailand, Argentina, Brazil, Georgia, South Africa, Uruguay, and Pakistan.
Thailand removed it from the drug category in 2020 and allowed people with medical prescriptions or licenses to use medical marijuana.
Uruguay became the first country in the world to allow its nationals to legally produce and sell cannabis, allowing it to be made available through pharmacies, home grows and clubs.
Multiple considerations for legalization
There are many reasons why countries such as Canada choose to legalize cannabis.
First of all, marijuana is classified as a soft drug.
This became a big argument in favor of the legalization of marijuana, as the relatively low level of addiction led people to mistakenly believe that marijuana is not as harmful as a drug.
In fact, while cannabis is less addictive, there is still a risk of abuse and dependence, especially for young people and long-term users.
Second, it is more difficult to control cannabis, especially in the face of progressive drug trafficking and trafficking methods, which makes it more difficult to combat the illegal cannabis market.
Some countries believe that legalizing cannabis can reduce the financial pressure on governments to combat drug crime and generate revenue from the legal market.
Part of this is used for social welfare, while reducing investment in the fight against drug crime and devoting resources to the treatment and prevention of drug addicts.
In addition, the influence of some cannabis legalization trends in the world has also contributed to the legalization of cannabis in these countries to a certain extent.
With the acceleration of globalization, the idea of drug legalization has gradually gained support in some countries and has had an impact in their own countries.
This trend of thought can lead to a change in people's attitudes, and even lead some people to believe that marijuana is not a drug, and thus support the legalization of marijuana.
As the first country in the world to legalize cannabis, Uruguay's initiative has many implications for Canada.
Canadians are beginning to recognize the economic and social implications that cannabis legalization can bring, especially as they see Uruguay attract a large number of U.S. tourists after legalizing marijuana.
Although marijuana was banned in Canada in 1923, after the end of World War II, marijuana gradually became a recreational drug in North America, attracting the attention of the government and society.
In the sixties of the last century, under the influence of hippie culture, young people in North America began to smoke marijuana in large quantities, which led to an increase in the cultivation of marijuana.
However, due to the government's ban on marijuana sales, many people had to grow in secret, and this led to an increase in gangster activity.
In 2001, the Canadian government recognized the legality of marijuana as a drug, and in 2002, a House committee recommended legalizing the possession and preservation of small amounts of marijuana.
It wasn't until October 17, 2018 that the Canadian Senate passed the "historic" "Cannabis Act".
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the decision on Twitter and said the move would help control access to marijuana by minors and cut the profits of criminals.
Worries after the carnival
The consequences of cannabis legalization in Canada are complex and far-reaching.
After marijuana was legalized, those people became more presumptuous and smoked marijuana more unscrupulously. This has created a shortage of cannabis.
Although there are specialized stores that sell cannabis, it is not uncommon for them to run out of stock.
In Ontario, it has become one of the largest cannabis markets in the country, with 25 licensed cannabis stores.
As a result, Canada has one of the largest cannabis smokers in the world.
However, over time, the undesirable consequences of marijuana legalization began to be felt.
Within days of the announcement of the legalization of marijuana, there was a massive mass drug use within the country, with drug users boiling to celebrate the decision.
The multiple harms that cannabis can have on your health cannot be ignored. While marijuana may not be as dangerous relative to some other drugs, it can still cause certain negative effects on the human body.
First of all, marijuana smoke contains a lot of harmful chemicals, and inhaling marijuana smoke can cause respiratory irritation, increase the risk of respiratory infections, and may trigger respiratory diseases.
Second, THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), the main ingredient in cannabis, affects nerve conduction in the brain, which can impair memory, concentration, and learning.
Especially for teenagers and young adults, long-term marijuana use may have adverse effects on brain development.
In addition, overconsumption can lead to an increase in heart rate, an increase in blood pressure, and an increase in the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Although marijuana may be less addictive than some other drugs, long-term use of marijuana may still lead to physical dependence on it, with symptoms such as anxiety, insomnia, and loss of appetite occurring during withdrawal.
According to a paper published in a local medical journal, marijuana legalization has drastically reduced the number of marijuana-related arrests, but more and more people are becoming frequent visitors to hospitals due to overdoses.
The authors' research from mental health centers and universities in Canada and Australia showed a 20 percent increase in young people admitted to hospital for cannabis-related illnesses and poisoning in some of the more populous provinces.
Specifically, there was a 13-fold increase in the incidence of symptoms of hyperactivity and vomiting due to marijuana, while the number of people admitted to the emergency room for mental illness attacks also doubled.
Another study also noted that the number of infants and young children admitted to hospitals for consuming food containing cannabis has doubled.
Since the legalization of marijuana in Canada, more and more people have chosen to smoke marijuana, and it is much easier for them to buy marijuana.
While legalization has made access to cannabis easier, it has also been accompanied by increased health problems, particularly affecting young people and children.
Why is the mainland strictly banning the legalization of marijuana?
The impact of cannabis legalization on the continent is manifold, first of all, the number of people who smoke marijuana is increasing worldwide, and the demand for cannabis in the international market is also rising rapidly.
This has led to an increase in marijuana smuggling, with foreign drug traffickers smuggling marijuana into China through various means.
Since the domestic market of cannabis legalization countries cannot fully digest the cannabis produced, cannabis-based drugs will flow to other non-cannabis legalization countries, which brings greater challenges to the mainland's anti-drug work.
China has to deal not only with the smuggling activities of foreign drug traffickers, but also with the increasing number of domestic and foreign nationals buying marijuana through the Internet.
Although the overall number of drug abusers in the mainland is declining, the abuse of cannabis-based drugs is deteriorating year by year, posing a threat to social stability and public health.
Since Canada announced the "legalization" of marijuana and some U.S. states have declared "legalization" of recreational and medical marijuana, there has been an increase in marijuana smuggling from these two countries to some non-cannabis legalized countries.
Some time ago, Germany began to announce the legalization of marijuana, which pushed the issue of legalization of marijuana to the forefront.
Therefore, the legalization of marijuana is harmful to the whole world. The mainland has also given clear provisions on this bill in other countries.
Even if you smoke marijuana in a country where marijuana is legalized, and you are detected after returning home, it is treated as domestic drug use.
I also advise those compatriots in countries where marijuana has been legalized to resolutely reject drugs! Because once you embark on it, this is the road of no return.
epilogue
The practice of legalizing cannabis in Canada has given us a deep reflection.
Globally, the trend towards the legalization of marijuana may be on the rise, but for non-cannabis legalized countries like China, we must be cautious.
As a country that takes the drug problem extremely seriously, China has always adhered to the stance of anti-narcotics.
The challenges and problems brought to Canada by the legalization of marijuana are a warning that we must firmly defend the principle of drug control, strengthen anti-drug work, protect the physical and mental health of the people, and maintain social stability and security.
Resources
1. Foreign media: On the fifth anniversary of the legalization of marijuana in Canada, related hospital admissions have soared - China Economic Net, released on October 12, 2023
2. Consulate reminder: smoking marijuana in Canada is found to be equivalent to domestic drug use after returning to China——China Overseas Chinese Network, released on January 22, 2019
3. Trudeau: Canada will legalize marijuana from October 17 - Globe.com, released on June 21, 2018