Samantha Neal

Miss Cook

Composition-01

23 March 2017

Should Marijuana Be Illegal?

Bell, G. (2017, January 18). 12 Reasons Weed Should Be Legal. Retrieved March 22, 2017, from

https://heatst.com/politics/why-weed-should-be-legal/

This article will benefit my essay solely because of its many arguments for

the legalization of marijuana. The first argument is that enforcement overtaxes our legal

system.

Official estimates suggest that over 700,000 people were arrested for marijuana related

offenses

and there are about 40,000 people taking up space in our crowded prisons for pot related

convictions. Another argument that this article produces is that it causes violence, but not

in the

way that you would think. Its important to remember that cannabis is where the Mexican

cartels make 60% of their profits, and those groups murder over 6,000 people a year.

There are also handfuls of people who die during deals, busts, or while simply stepping

onto an illegal farm in the U.S. every year. Legalization would end all this mayhem

quickly. The biggest argument that I plan on utilizing from this article is that the

legalization of marijuana could earn the US so much. It is also estimated that the US

could make up to $7 billion a year by taxing legalized weed.

Boerner, H. (2016). MEDICAL CANNABIS: FROM LEGAL TO ILLEGAL TO

(SOMETIMES) LEGAL AGAIN. Physician Leadership Journal, 3(6), 28-30.

This article begins by discussing Jason Silversteens opinion on medical marijuana.

Silversteen, a

Neurologist, does not understand why it is still illegal when all he sees is health benefits.

Almost

unanimously, people say, Oh my gosh, its so helpful, or I can sleep through the night

now

because my pain isnt waking me up, said Silversteen, who directs the hospitals MS

center. Or they say, Right after I started using it, I had a significant reduction in pain.

Im more productive and functional in my daily life. The article continues by discussing

the different benefits of using medical marijuana; it is even estimated that there are even

more potential benefits of the plant that researchers have not unlocked yet. I plan on

utilizing this article by implementing physicians statements on their views on the usage

of marijuana. Using their testimonies, my argument will have more reliable sources to

back it up.

Hudak, J. (2015). COLORADO'S ROLLOUT OF LEGAL MARIJUANA IS SUCCEEDING: A

REPORT ON THE STATE'S IMPLEMENTATION OF LEGALIZATION. Case

Western

Reserve Law Review, 65(3), 649.

This is a peer reviewed journal over the succession on Colorados implementation of

 Legalization. The article begins by stating in November 2012, Colorado voters approved

Amendment sixty-four to the state constitution, allowing for cultivation, processing, and

sale of

Recreational marijuana. This Article describes the challenges the state faced in this effort,

how it

overcame those challenges, and what level of success Colorado has had in dealing with

legal

marijuana.In the process, this Article walks through the broad framework of the

regulatory state

and explains why and to what effect the state has achieved its goals. Overall, Colorado

has

been broadly successful in implementing Amendment Sixty-Four and bringing legal

marijuana to

the Centennial State. However, the process has not been perfect, as state regulators and

officials still face challenges in this new area of public policy. I plan on utilizing the

information in

this article by using facts of Colorados success to my advantage. Having proof of the

success

of legalization will definitely benefit my argument.

Jacques, R. (2013, October 24). This Is Why Marijuana Should Be Legal Everywhere. Retrieved

March 22, 2017, from

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/24/marijuana-legalization_n_4151423.html
 This article is very beneficial to my argument because it lists many reasons why

marijuana should be legalized. This article begins its argument by stating how no one has

ever died from a marijuana overdose. It may be hard to believe this considering the large

amounts of THC in your system, but ever since marijuana has been known to mankind,

not one death from a marijuana overdose has ever been recorded. To support this, the

article also states that in 2010, 38,329 people have died from drug overdoses and sixty

percent of those were related to prescription drugs. In that same year, 25,692 people died

from alcohol-related causes.

Owen Poindexter / AlterNet. (2014, July 31). 6 Powerful Reasons to Legalize Marijuana, From

the

New York Times. Retrieved March 22, 2017, from

http://www.alternet.org/drugs/6-powerful-reasons-new-york-times-says-end-marijuana-pr

ohibition

The first powerful argument presented in this argument is that prohibition has enormous

social costs. Similar to the last couple of articles, these arguments will help support my

claims against the prohibition of marijuana. The second argument states that the benefits

of criminalization are minimal to nonexistent. Other arguments include: cannabis has

legitimate medical effects, legalization will not lead to increased use, and marijuana is

less harmful than alcohol or tobacco.

Rough, L. (2017, February 01). Should Marijuana Be Legalized? 10 Arguments in Favor.

Retrieved
 March 22, 2017, from

https://www.leafly.com/news/politics/top-ten-arguments-for-legalization

There are many arguments presented in this article, of those are: if cannabis is legalized

the

world will not go into chaos, the prohibition of cannabis takes a financial toll on society,

marijuana enforcement is inherently biased, it has medical applications, it is 114 times

less toxic

than alcohol, legalization has not led to an increased use among teens and minors, it

generates

revenue, keeping it illegal is expensive, legalizing it could help eliminate the black

market, and its

legalization could help create jobs. Colorado created 10,000 new jobs in the legal

cannabis industry, boosting the economy and lowering the unemployment rate to just 6%,

making it one of the lowest in the nation

Rubric rating submitted on: 3/24/2017, 11:33:30 AM by danielle.cook@redstreaks.org

 3 = Demonstrated 2 = Attempted to 1 = Attempted to 0 = No attempt
demonstrate, but a demonstrate, but made
couple errors exist multiple errors exist

Annotations: All annotations All annotations All annotations All annotations

Summaries (1) include objective include objective include objective include objective
3 = Demonstrated summaries summaries summaries summaries

Annotations: All annotations All annotations All annotations All annotations

Summaries (2) include objective include objective include objective include objective
3 = Demonstrated summaries summaries summaries summaries

Annotations: Clear explanation of Clear explanation of Clear explanation of Clear explanation of

Explanation (1) how the source is how the source is how the source is how the source is
3 = Demonstrated relevant and useful relevant and useful relevant and useful relevant and useful

Annotations: Clear explanation of Clear explanation of Clear explanation of Clear explanation of

Explanation (2) how the source is how the source is how the source is how the source is
3 = Demonstrated relevant and useful relevant and useful relevant and useful relevant and useful

Annotations: Clarity Annotation Annotation Annotation Annotation

3 = Demonstrated information is information is information is information is
logically and clearly logically and clearly logically and clearly logically and clearly
written written written written

Annotations: All resources are All resources are All resources are All resources are
Attempt annotated annotated annotated annotated
3 = Demonstrated

Bibliography/Works
Cited (1) All resources are All resources are All resources are All resources are
3 = Demonstrated correctly cited in correctly cited in correctly cited in correctly cited in
MLA or APA MLA or APA MLA or APA MLA or APA
format format format format

Bibliography/Works
Cited (2) All resources are All resources are All resources are All resources are
3 = Demonstrated correctly cited in correctly cited in correctly cited in correctly cited in
MLA or APA MLA or APA MLA or APA MLA or APA
format format format format

Content Information Information Information Information

 Knowledge: provides reader provides reader provides reader provides reader
Knowledge essential knowledge essential knowledge essential knowledge essential knowledge
3 = Demonstrated of the topic of the topic of the topic of the topic

Content Use of content area Use of content area Use of content area Use of content area
Knowledge: Word vocabulary is vocabulary is vocabulary is vocabulary is
Choice consistently precise consistently precise consistently precise consistently precise
3 = Demonstrated and accurate and accurate and accurate and accurate

Sources: Variety Cited sources Cited sources Cited sources Cited sources
3 = Demonstrated represent various represent various represent various represent various
genres (ex. genres (ex. genres (ex. genres (ex.
literature, scholarly literature, scholarly literature, scholarly literature, scholarly
journal, journal, journal, journal,
encyclopedia, news encyclopedia, news encyclopedia, news encyclopedia, news
article, etc) article, etc) article, etc) article, etc)

Sources: Credibility All cited sources All cited sources All cited sources All cited sources
3 = Demonstrated come from come from come from come from
authoritative authoritative authoritative authoritative
resources resources resources resources

Sources: All resources are All resources are All resources are All resources are
Appropriateness appropriate for appropriate for appropriate for appropriate for
3 = Demonstrated target audience target audience target audience target audience

Quantity of Sources Document cites the Document cites the Document cites the Document cites the
3 = Demonstrated number of sources number of sources number of sources number of sources
outlined in the outlined in the outlined in the outlined in the
assignment assignment assignment assignment

Quality of Sources All sources cited All sources cited All sources cited All sources cited
3 = Demonstrated can be considered can be considered can be considered can be considered
reliable and/or reliable and/or reliable and/or reliable and/or
trustworthy trustworthy trustworthy trustworthy

Comments:
Total: 45/45

The annotations thoroughly summarize each source and explains how you plan to use them. I
think you have a good variety of sources here. Each sources provides a little something different,
which is what you want from your research. Good job!