Friday mornings in the office tend to be a little bit slower, so we end up discussing a wide variety of topics. One topic of discussion, which was addressed were thoughts surrounding the legalization of marijuana.

The Liberals ran on a platform, which stated they would pursue this legalization. Although it hasn't been a priority in government, I do feel that it is something that would generate revenue for the government. Much like the Government of Saskatchewan has a liquor tax, the Government of Canada could impose one on marijuana sales.

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The other day as I scrolled through my Facebook the usual advertisements popped up, but I also saw numerous references to 420, April 20. Now I'm not sure how that time/day was chosen, but similar to people drinking and saying, "It's five o'clock somewhere," a 420 culture has developed surrounding marijuana.

This sparked our topic of debate this week, should marijuana be legalized?

As I began researching the topic it became evident that a lot of money surrounds the production and sale of it. According to one article I came across, cannabis is actually the largest cash crop in the United States. If it were legalized more people could benefit from the production of marijuana and hemp. Although the article said that Canada and some European countries have developed industrial hemp production it could further be used in numerous other forms including use as bio-fuel. It would also allow for the diversification of crops grown allowing farmers to have a wider range of produce. Currently it is a specialty crop in Canada.

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