The prohibition of marijuana in British Columbia and Canada is an issue that needs to be addressed; it does not reduce the overall number of people using these substances, increases enforcement costs, and is a six billion dollar industry in British Columbia alone that we cannot tax (Maclean, 2005). In this article, we will look at three innovations that British Columbia could adopt. The first is legalizing marijuana in British Columbia and Canada, exploring decriminalization, and keeping marijuana laws as they are.BackgroundIn British Columbia and across Canada, 40 percent of young people are currently going to school. admitted to using marijuana, and approximately 12.6% of the Canadian population, or approximately 4.39 million adults, have used cannabis at least once in the past year (Henry, 2009; Flister, 2012). This has impacted our streets and schools and our residential neighborhoods are becoming more dangerous because drug dealers target our youth to use and sell their substances (Maclean, 2005). According to Mark Maclean in his article "Vancouver Drug Epidemiology and Drug Crime Statisitics 2000", seventy-one percent of drug crimes committed in British Columbia alone involved cannabis. This will eventually get worse now with the Safe Streets and Communities Act, already in force, which provides that people who grow 6 or more weed plants will be subject to a minimum of 6 months in prison (Little & Nash, n.d.). Flitser (2012) if we want to legalize marijuana in Canada while maintaining the current retail price of a marijuana cigarette, approximately $8.60. This will amount to a tax equivalent to the difference between current street prices and production costs and will represent high profits for the government (Filtser,...... middle of paper ...... by realizing it However, it's good to know all the potential areas of a product.Mulgrew, I. (February 14, 2012), say former BC attorneys general Colin Gabelmann, Ujjal Dosanjh, Graeme Bowbrick. and Geoff Plant, say the 89- Year-old marijuana prohibition has failed The Vancouver Sun Retrieved from http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Legalize+marijuana+former+attorneys+general/ 6152280/story.htmlThis is an article by four former BC lawyers. The general calls for marijuana legalization for several reasons, including that regulating and taxing pot will increase revenue from the pot. government, reduce gang violence, better protect our communities and improve health outcomes. He compares the marijuana ban to the alcohol probation we had in place. the 1920s and 1930s were strengthened and the same should be done for marijuana.