Legalization of Marijuana in Canada: Why Provincial Liquor Commissions Should Sell Marijuana to Adults In a time where the Canadian Government is looking for new ways to cut costs, and boost tax revenues, the idea of legalizing marijuana and selling it through provincial liquor commissions has transformed from the dreams of a few, to a country wide debate. This debate centers on whether legalizing and selling marijuana is the appropriate move for Canada, and how this process would be accomplished. Legalization of marijuana could prove to have many benefits for the Canadian people and its government; it is a topic that requires serious consideration, both by the Canadian electorate and those who shape Canada’s laws and policies.
Some Canadians – a recent poll suggests less than fifty percent – take issue with the legalization of marijuana because of moral, or personal reasons. However, the legalization of marijuana is supported by many Canadians – polls suggest more than fifty percent – and should therefore be legalized and sold by provincial liquor commissions to people over the age of 18. Firstly, as a democracy, if more than fifty percent of Canadians are for legalization, our laws and criminal code should reflect this. Secondly, the amount of money that would be saved on enforcement and imprisonment costs could be used to fund addiction counseling and support services. Finally, the profit generated from the sale of marijuana would increase the amount of money that provincial governments have to spend on social programs and to repay government debt.
Canada is a democratic country, and a democracy can be interpreted as the rule of the majority. If a majority, in this case over 50.1% of a country’s eligible voters, believe that something should be a certain way, then this should be reflected in the laws and criminal code of that country. Angus Reid Global, citing a recent survey they conducted, claims that 60% of Canadians support the legalization of marijuana (Angus Reid Global). If over 60% of Canadians are in favor of legalization then marijuana should be made legal for those over the age of 18, or 19 in provinces where the age of majority is 19, and sold through provincial liquor commissions.
The amount of money that would be saved on enforcement and imprisonment costs could be used to fund addiction counseling and support services. Enforcement and imprisonment costs include: police salaries, investigation expenses, administrative expenses, judicial expenses, the cost of a room for a prisoner, food for the prisoner, jail guards’ salaries, and rehabilitation costs after years of imprisonment. Paula Mallea, in her book “The War on Drugs: a failed experiment”, discusses how the conservative government’s minimum sentencing policy for drug offenders has increased the cost of federal spending on prisons from $2.98 billion per year from 2001-2012 to $3.147 billion a year in 2013-2014 (Mallea). This increase of over $100 million dollars could be better used to provide addiction and counseling services to those with marijuana abuse issues, rather than using it to incarcerate those who have been charged with victimless crimes.
Finally, the legalization of marijuana, and its subsequent sale through provincial liquor commissions, would result in a new revenue stream for both the federal and provincial governments. Zachary Malinowski, in a recent research paper, explained that Washington State, where marijuana was recently legalized and is taxed at a 25% rate, stands to generate $500 million dollars in annual tax revenue from the sale of marijuana (Malinowski). This demonstrates the staggering amount of tax revenue that could be generated by the Canadian federal government, and the provincial governments if they legalized marijuana.
While the legalization of marijuana and its sale through provincial liquor commission will most likely not happen while the conservative government, the reality is that the majority of Canadians are in support of it. Legalizing marijuana would save massive amounts of money on enforcement, prosecution and imprisonment costs, and the taxable revenue generated through marijuana sales would be staggering. This additional money could better serve Canadians by supporting our healthcare system and investing in addiction counseling programs that provide support to those with substance abuse issues. When all of these facts are taken in to account it is hard to understand why any Canadian would be against the legalization of marijuana.

Works Cited
Angus Reid Global. "Six-in-ten Canadians Support Legalizing Marijuana, but Say It's Not a Top Justice Priority." Angus Reid Global. Angus Reid Global, 12 Aug. 2014. Web. 20 Nov. 2014.

Mallea, Paula. The War on Drugs: A Failed Experiment. Toronto: Dundurn, 2014. 256. Print.

Malinowski, W. Zachary. "Revenues High On Marijuana." Planning 79.4 (2013): 9. Academic Search Complete. Web. 20 Nov. 2014.