Are You pro or anti the Legalization of Marijuana?
Question: Canada recently joined Uruguay as the second nation in the world to make marijuana legal. What is your opinion on the legalization of marijuana?
Answer: I’m for it being used in a medical use but not so for recreational use, because I think if people were to argue, what about alcohol and cigarettes? Well everything is good but in moderation.
The statements above are from Miss Philippines Catriona Gray’s answer during the Miss Universe competition held in December 2018. Miss Gray was able to take crown home. The reception to her answer was mixed but supporters considered it as a big support and can help in pushing the legalization of marijuana. Possession, use and sales of marijuana remains illegal and a criminal offense in the Philippines but House Bill 6517 opting to legalize its medical use has passed the second reading in the House of Representatives..
Talks about legalizing cannabis, more widely known as marijuana, for medical purposes remains controversial in many countries. It is one of the most illegally consumed drugs. According to studies, cannabis can:
- Reduce anxiety.
- Reduce inflammation and relieve pain.
- Control nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy.
- Kill cancer cells and slow tumor growth.
- Relax tight muscles in people with multiple sclerosis.
- Stimulate appetite and improve weight gain in people with cancer and AIDS.
However, those who are against the legalization of medical marijuana states the following reasons:
- frequent usage can seriously affect short-term memory
- Frequent use can impair your cognitive ability.
- Smoked marijuana contains cancer-causing compounds.
- and scientific evidence on it’s effectiveness as medicine remains limited.
So far, some countries have legalized the medical use of marijuana but in terms of its possession, distribution, and cultivation, it varies from country to country. Is some countries, marijuana was not legalized but the usage of it was decriminalized, but sales is still prohibited and illegal.
Uruguay was the first to fully legalized the cultivation and sales of marijuana all over the country. Canada is the latest addition to legalize the recreational use of the said substance.
One of the biggest arguments is that cigarettes and alcohol, which have been proven to be dangerous to health, are legal and widely consumed. Is it because the industry generates a lot of money? If countries legalize the use of cannabis, how long will it be limited to medical use? What is stopping governments from legalizing it?
As of today, the medical use of cannabis are legalized in Australia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Finland. Germany, Greece. Israel, Italy, Norway, the Netherlands,Peru,Poland and Thailand.
The Philippines is a highly-conservative country. Unlike its Asian counterparts, divorce, selected abortion and same-sex marriage are still illegal. One of the big factors is the religious belief of the larger population. Also, the country continue to suffer from crimes related to illegal drugs, that’s why many people are skeptical about marijuana. But recently, the general population are expressing support to the medical use of marijuana even those who belong to conservation churches or sects. But despite the massive support, there is still no clear resolution. It remains to be seen which among divorce, medical marijuana, selective abortion or same-sex marriage will be legalized first.
Let’s discuss with aimtalk teachers:
- What are your thoughts about legalizing marijuana? Is it an issue in your country?
- Do you know any other prohibited and regulated drugs? Do you think they should be legalized too? Why or why not?
- If you were to legalize something in your country, which one would it be? How about the opposite? Why?
Vocabulary
controversial(adj): causing a lot of disagreement, because many people have strong opinions about the subject being discussed
inflammation(n): swelling and pain in part of your body, which is often red and feels hot.
nausea(n): the feeling that you have when you think you are going to vomit
chemotherapy(n): the use of drugs to control and try to cure cancer
sclerosis(n): a disease that causes an organ or soft part of your body to become hard
impair(v): to damage something or make it not as good as it should be
cognitive(adj): related to the process of knowing understanding and learning something
decriminalize(v): to state officially that something is not illegal anymore
as of/from: starting from a particular time or date and continuing
counterpart(n): someone or something that has the same job or purpose as someone or something else in a different place
skeptical/sceptical(adj): doubtful
sect(n): a group of people with their own particular set of beliefs and practices, especially within or separated from a larger religious group