Crimes rates drop with medical marijuana licenses.
Medical Marijuana licenses are decreasing the crime rate in areas like North Central Regina. As more people become licensed and thus removed from the black market aspects of marijuana, crime rates seem to be plummeting when compared to previous years. There is speculation that new policing strategies are contributing to the decrease but when a good majority of the drug related charges are marijuana(26,000 grams of pot were seized by Regina police in 2010), the result of helping these people become legal users and growers undoubtedly effects those numbers profoundly. Canada’s Marijuana Specialty shop, Head 2 Head in Regina has been educating the people and assisting them in acquiring their medical license for the last few years and as the number of licenses increase, the crime rate plummets almost equally as fast.
Understanding the relations between street drugs and crime is essential for understanding how to make improvements to today’s crime problems. Marijuana is a plant that in history, has never killed anyone. It has however treated more conditions than any other plants or substance known to man. It was once found in over 50% of all medicine before prohibition began in 1920, when doctors began trying to replace it with synthetic versions or other substances. No other substance has yet to compare to the medicinal properties and potential of marijuana.
Prohibiting an herb that can help to treat so many symptoms and conditions is resulting in a more dangerous environment for those seeking its effects. Because marijuana is now being sold illegally by the same people selling more harmful drugs such as cocaine, heroin, ecstasy or meth, buyers are being encouraged to experiment with more dangerous substances.
For example,
When shopping for vegetables, someone could go to either a vegetable stand or a grocery store. If they go to a vegetable stand, they will be offered vegetables. If they go to the grocery store however, they will be able to find not only vegetables, but also countless other foods. A grocery store may be more convenient if they are looking to get more than just vegetables, but if veggies are the only thing on their list, then the grocery store may be distracting and encourage them to buy and eat other foods that they would have otherwise avoided entirely. This is the same as a marijuana dealer having a “vegetable” stand(marijuana shop) vs. a marijuana dealer being forced to have a section in the grocery store( or in this case the black market).The grocery store is not limited to vegetables, and the black market is not limited to marijuana. People seeking out the effects of marijuana may be directed to another harsher, more dangerous drug due to the convenience, availability or because they trust the salesman. That is where the danger of prohibition roots from. Referring to the vegetables as a “gateway” substance to other foods seems far fetched in a grocery store environment, but is no different than referreing to marijuana as a gateway drug to other substances in the black market environment.
It is perhaps a question of what came first?- The need for nutritional vegetables or a grocery store filled with vegetables and many other foods, some being very unhealthy? Marijuana as medicine or the black market filled with many other more harmful substances? History reads that vegetables were being eaten before they were marketed and marijuana has been around long before the black market it’s now tied into.
Head 2 Head Novelties in Regina recognizes this direct link between the potential dangers involved with medical marijuana and the black market, and have been assisting citizens in becoming legal for many years. It is no surprise to the crew at this shop that crimes rates are decreasing at an alarming rate as they have been predicting this change as the result of educating the public on legal avenues for marijuana.Because so many marijuana users have legitimate reasons for using the herb, but are unaware of their potential to be legal, unnecessary possession and grow charges are being distributed and negatively affecting the crime rates in locations like North Central Regina.
Helping Saskatchewan Grow is a movement that began through Head 2 Head in 2009 that assists in educating people and acquiring their licenses. The goal of the movement is to increase awareness and contribute to a decreasing crime rate. Although there have been many challenging obstacles to overcome in the movement, it’s success is demonstrated as crime rates begin to decrease and goals are quickly becoming reality.
Regina was once considered the most dangerous place to live in Canada and is now being recognized as a city with a growing population and diminishing crime rates. Many variables are surely affecting this positive change, but dedication from the crew at Head 2 Head assisting with marijuana licensing is definitely playing a huge role in the changes. Fewer citizens are receiving unnecessary possession and grow charges with the help of their legal licensing, and even the drug addiction problems in North Central seems to be getting more under control. There are more legal users and growers and thus safer ways to access marijuana, making for fewer reasons to seek it out through the dangers of the black market.
Citizens do not need to redirect their future with unnecessary drug charges and as these licenses become more popular, the positive changes are bound to continue.
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