Cultural Evaluation

Marijuana is a drug that is not legalized in many countries around the world. This is because of the perception that the abuse of the drug could lead to addiction. Addiction is the dependence on a substance such that one cannot do without it. From the old to the young, men to women, the habit has been continuously growing all over as a disease for many. A review of the pros and cons of marijuana would need to be altered subject to the various aspects of Japanese culture.

Japan is a country that olds cultural practices in high spirit. As a result, the Japanese people view drug use as being immoral. This was confirmed by the recent cases of Japanese wrestlers and celebrities who were accused of using marijuana. These revelations took the country by shock (Singer, 2009). In regards to marijuana being a cure, this is completely unacceptable especially because it has not been completely proven beyond any doubt. Moreover, there are better and safer forms of medication that do not necessarily pose any danger to the patients.

Studies have indicated that any person arrested due to drug abuse is subject to a very harsh sentence. This is due to the seriousness with which Japan views the possession or usage of drugs. Irrespective of the fact that many countries around the world do not accept drug abuse, Japan is believed to take extremely harsh measures to curb the issue.

In addition to this, statistics indicate that the arrests that have been made in relation to marijuana use or trafficking have risen by 21.3% in the year 2009 (Smith, 2009). This is an illustration of how largely the Japanese culture alters all the pros that may be perceived of marijuana. Therefore, in a culturally rich country such as Japan, arguments such as marijuana having medicinal value would not be acceptable.