<p>Argument of Fact:</p>
<p>Point of essay is to clear any misconceptions people have about something (e.g. same-sex marriage, global warming, death row)…And I am writing about how marijuana is not as bad as people think, that it is no worse than cigarettes and alcohol (I am sober) and that the only reason why it is legal is because the government cannot control it (not sure Im allowed to say that)…please, what do you think?</p>
<p>Hey EconWiz, don’t steal Milton Friedman’s arguments.</p>
<p>Might want to research your facts before writing the essay…lack of government controllability isn’t nearly the number one reason for marijuana bans. If you really want to get into this essay topic, I’d recommend taking a look at the history behind it. The racism involved, the prohibition resource continuation, and the hemp competition with the paper industry come to mind. Most Americans still believe that marijuana is harmful and shouldn’t be legal. From those historical topics, it’d be fairly easy to segue into an appeal to reason, and an explanation of people joining a bandwagon they don’t understand. A joke comes to mind involving a (possibly?) real psychological experiment…
8 monkeys are put into a room with a stepladder, and a banana bushel hanging from the ceiling. Immediately, a monkey attempts to get the bananas…all others are sprayed with a hose. The monkey attempting to get the bananas is removed from the room, and replaced with a fresh one. Obviously, he will see the bananas and be immediately attracted. As he attempts to get them, the other monkeys will whale the tar out of him to ensure they won’t be sprayed again. As you replace the previously sprayed monkeys one by one with fresh monkeys, you will eventually have a room that has never been exposed to the negative stimuli of the hose…yet they will continue to prevent new monkeys from reaching the bananas. The basic point is that they have no idea WHY they’re punishing someone, but they can rationalize it because that’s what happened to them, so that’s the way it goes.<br>
Marijuana illegality is a bit like the monkeys. I’m sure you can phrase it much more eloquently in your essay. I’ve gotten a bit off topic here but my basic point remains…research the subject carefully, there’s a lot more to the history of marijuana prohibition than “the government can’t control it so they ban it.”</p>
<p>I don’t think that your reasons are very logical, or factual.</p>
<p>It’s inaccurate to say the only reason marijuana is illegal is because the government cannot control it. Marijuana is legal (well, decriminalized) in the Netherlands, and the government regulates it quite well there. There’s no evidence that marijuana is any more difficult to regulate than tobacco products, or alcohol. Yet, those are legal.</p>
<p>Many people believe marijuana is illegal because it is harmful to the body, impairs judgment, and decreases productivity. What are you reasons for marijuana “not being as bad as people think”? What kind of research have you done on the issue? IF you are going to make an argument like this, you need to come with factual information.</p>
<p>Point of essay is to clear any misconceptions people have about something (e.g. same-sex marriage, global warming, death row)…And I am writing about how marijuana is not as bad as people think, that it is no worse than cigarettes and alcohol (I am sober) and that the only reason why it is legal is because the government cannot control it (not sure Im allowed to say that)…please, what do you think?</p>
<p>Long32=3 has also provided some good commentary.</p>
<p>u should be fine as long as u do your research. we had a class debate last year where we all learned that pot has never killed a single person [directly]. so yeah, gl :)</p>