Marijuana is going to be legalized in about one year from now nationwide across Canada. This then begs the question of whether the marijuana industry is really as destructive to society as critics say it is, and also whether other certain business industries similar the marijuana industry are also being negatively portrayed over the top without being justified with solid critical evidence. For instance from a health prospective while marijuana does lead to social issues like more unproductive citizens, marijuana addiction and delusional behavior, it is not as harmful as other drugs which are not banned, for instance cigarettes. This coupled with the fact that medical marijuana has medical uses for patients in need, presents us with a moral dilemma. Are certain industries being portrayed in an overly negative light with their potential benefits being ignored by the public because of political dogma which is not allowing us to look at industries in a critical manner when considering if they are ethical or not.

This question of whether we overly portray certain industries in a negative manner without really critically thinking about it is perfectly illustrated by this Globe and Mail article I read. This article uncovers the irony of how two of Canada’s former top cops went from being totally against the marijuana industry to becoming marijuana middlemen after being educated about the pros of the marijuana industry. For instance the article says: Mr Fantino who formerly headed the Ontario Provincial Police, and who in his unsuccessful 2015 reelection bid heavily criticized marijuana has now changed his attitude towards the drug. He said quote “We’re talking about the medical benefits that have evolved and been tried and proven … it’s been a matter of informing myself, educating myself.” This is after his experience of being Veterans Affairs minister where he quote “saw how Afghan war veterans were turning to prescription marijuana to deal with anxiety, sleep disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder.” This illustrates the business ethics dilemma of the marijuana industry, while on the one hand it causes social problems however on the other hand it really helps medical patients in need of marijuana.

Overall, I think from a business ethics perspective we should reevaluate what constitutes an ethical and non-ethical business since it is not as clear cut and black and white as we perceive it to be as this article has shown. Also I believe that society should look at business ethics by weighing up the pros and cons without only focusing on either the pros or the cons in a one sided manner.

Word Count: 428

References:

-Freeze, C. (2017, September 25). Former top cops Fantino,
Souccar launch marijuana-services business. Retrieved September
25, 2017, from https://beta.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/
former-top-cops-launch-prescription-marijuana-business/article36374949/?ref=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theglobeandmail.com&