“Nearly two in ten Canadians said they had used marijuana in the past year, but more than 30 percent of survey respondents said they did so would do next year if it were legal. » (Evans, 2015). Over the past few years, many people have expressed their opinions on why marijuana should be legal in Canada. It's one of the most debated topics in Canada, and in recent years more people have come out in favor of legalization: "59% support new laws that would legalize, tax and regulate “recreational use of marijuana under certain conditions” (Evans, 2015). . Last year, during the Canadian elections, the people elected Justin Trudeau as Prime Minister, one of his priorities being to legalize marijuana in the country. The majority of Canadians strongly supported this idea. Legalizing marijuana may be the popular opinion in Canada, but there are far too many risks prohibiting it for it to truly benefit society as a whole. Due to the health risks, social and public relations risks, and overall impact on the younger generation, the legalization of marijuana has more disadvantages than advantages and should therefore remain illegal in Canada . Mental illness is a very serious problem that affects many people. across the world. Cannabis use increases the risk of developing mental illness and creates difficulty for those who already suffer from it. More specifically, cannabis use further increases the risk of depression: “young women [with] this level of consumption [were] associated with a five times higher risk of depression and anxiety than among non-users” (Pattron et al., 2002). If marijuana is legalized for recreational use, its use will increase across the country. However, with higher usage, the risk...... middle of paper......cation. The substance acts as a learning barrier for students, because with drugs they will not reach their full potential. All these drawbacks make legalization too great a risk for society. The negative influence of marijuana on the lives of adults and adolescents makes it a threat rather than a help to society as a whole. There are still many unknown facts about this drug, but I urge the Canadian government to wait until more studies demonstrate that it poses minimal threat to human health and safety. Until more concrete facts are demonstrated, marijuana should remain illegal in Canada to play it safe. Nevertheless, the legalization of marijuana is a topic that will be debated for many years and will probably never unite one hundred percent of people on one side. However, at this time, given the problems this poses for youth, human health and public safety, there is no point in legalizing marijuana..