This house would legalize the use of marijuana

Thanks pro. I’d just like to make some observations before I get into my arguments. My opponent advocates a shared burden of proof in round 1 and then goes on to say that he’ll carry the BOP in round 2. I believe we should stick with the latter unless any objection is raised as pro is arguing against status quo. Two of my opponent’s sources do not open for me [economist.com & psychologytoday.com]. I ask that he correct this in the following round. I’d like to open my arguments by pointing out that the government has a vested interest in the well being of its people, and this means occasionally restricting the freedom of its citizens. My opponent’s belief that marijuana should have a minimum age requirement is an example of one such limit. In order to decide whether a limit is reasonable or not, I would like to turn to the Section 1 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms for guidance, which states that rights are subjects to limits that are “demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society”. Even though the onus is on my opponent to prove why cannabis should be legalized, I will attempt to show in my arguments that the banning of marijuana is a reasonable limit to our rights and freedoms. Marijuana is Harmful – Obviously, this is a very controversial area and many sources hold bias and contradicting opinions. When presented with conflicting information, I wish to simply put it to the voters to decide which side’s sources are more reliable (However half of my opponent’s sources on this subject do not open! Hopefully that’ll be fixed in a later round). Anyhow, here is a list of ways marijuana is harmful health-wise – Recreational cannabis is proven to cause developmental delay in youth under 18 – leading in IRREVERSIBLE damage to intelligence, attention, and memory. Additionally, 1 in 10 underage users develop schizophrenia over 11 years of usage [1]. This information is relevant because I believe legalizing marijuana will increase usage in underage youth. Although many sources suggest that marijuana is less physically addicting than alcohol or tobacco, surveys done on marijuana users seem to imply that there is a large psychological factor in marijuana addiction. Studies show that 1 in 10 people who EVER try cannabis will become dependent at some point. For those who’ve used cannabis multiple times the chances increase to about 1 in 3 [2]. Usage results in impairment, sluggishness, and decreased motivation. Marijuana use has also been associated with lung damage, anxiety, depression, short term memory loss and brain impairment, and a weakened immune system. There are an increased chance of birth complications and defects as well [3]. Studies suggest that cannabis is a gateway drug and the high leads to usage of harder drugs [4]. Marijuana also passes these negative health impacts around through second hand smoke [3]. Legalization Results in Increased Usage – Legalization undermines all the effort placed into warning children not to get involved with drugs, and without the threat of legal repercussions + easier accessibility, usage rates will go up. This has historically proven true with teen marijuana use in Alaska skyrocketing to TWICE the national average after legalizing pot. Usage rates in the Netherlands also went up nearly 30% in the Netherlands. Finally, the drop in marijuana usage after several US states recriminalized marijuana averaged 57% [5]. Legalization Results in Increased Marijuana Related Arrests – Despite being legal, in 2009 alcohol related arrests for impaired driving, selling to minors and bootlegging totaled nearly 2 million [6]. In comparison, my opponent’s own sources state that marijuana related arrests peaked in the 800 000s. If the sources my opponent posits about marijuana usage rates and the projected increase after legalization is true, these figures suggest that any savings made will be offset by the increased enforcement spent on regulation of marijuana after legalization. Legalization Causes Gangs/Drug Dealers to Simply Move to a More Harmful Market – It is every bit as naïve to believe that legalizing marijuana will eliminate gangs as it is to believe that prohibition will stop alcohol from circulating. If pro is operating under the assumption that gang members will simply disband, get an education, and become contributing members of society after legalization, he is mistaken. First and foremost, it’s a fallacy to assume that gangs are formed because of a large demand for any particular drug. In other words, I doubt that most gangsters or dealers are in the trade because its profitable (many dealers are actually quite poor). Additionally, what my opponent has to realize is that very few members of the drug trade are actually directly involved in the cultivation of marijuana and are directly affected by this change; over 90% of the gang members involved in the business are actually distributors and pushers. The majority of the gang population will not be equipped to handle a drastic change to their lifestyle, they can only move to a different market, such as pushing harder drugs. Because of this, my opponent’s projected savings on enforcement are flawed. The underground marijuana market won’t disband either as long as it’s regulated in any way; 51% of the market for drugs is youth under 18, so drug pushers and organizations will simply sell cannabis to minors [7]. On top of that, you also have to consider bootleggers who try to evade taxes by selling contraband goods, such as the bootlegging you see with cigarettes today [8]. With these two factors in mind, it’s likely that the police enforcement and the jail population will actually go up and not decrease after legalization. Other financial ramifications – Marijuana users are liabilities in the workforce. Users show a 75% increase in absenteeism and are also 5 times more likely to cause workplace related injuries to themselves and to others [9]. Firing them would simply result in shelling out welfare for users, a further strain on the economy. The increased mental health problems that result from marijuana use also burden countries with public healthcare. Final Notes – I have a few more observations to make before concluding the debate – Not legalizing marijuana does not equal the WOD. Numerous countries like England and Wales have instigated effective drug policies that have led to a drop in marijuana use [10]. When the US senate recently moved to ban smoking, the tobacco industry easily dropped tens of millions of dollars in advertisements into preventing the ban. If the marijuana industry starts up, it’s easy to foresee a similar situation where banning cannabis would be nigh impossible. Do we really need another tobacco industry (a drug industry famous for its deep-seated political lobbying and corruption)? In summation, cannabis is a harmful substance that can cause irreversible damage on brain development. Legalizing marijuana is clearly correlated with increased usage, especially teen usage. On top of that, any foreseeable financial gains would be offset by the increased need for regulating the product, increased enforcement + prison space for impaired driving, and decreased work efficiency. Because of the reasons I have stated and the reasons I will state, the government is justified in limiting our right to use recreational marijuana and this resolution must and will fall. I hand the podium back to my opponent. Sources - http://pastebin.com...