I am writing a paper on legalization of marijuana. It has to be 5 pages long...anyone have any ideas or facts that i can add to it?
Use this quote "I think people need to be educated to the fact that marijuana is not a drug. Marijuana is an herb and a flower. God put it here. If He put it here and He wants it to grow, what gives the government the right to say that God is wrong?" -- Willie Nelson... figuring most people that take a view against it our stuck up religious bitches.
You should write a few words and offer your teacher an apple. Refusal of the gift for a grade is unacceptable, execution is eminent.
i believe i got it from the NORML site... that quote is great but be sure to have hard scientificbacking for that is nothing but pure opinion
Or you can always go the route of popular opinion. Quote several prominent people who are pro-marijuana. Arnold Schwarzenegger, William F. Buckley, Jr., Terence McKenna, Milton Friedman and basically anyone who's had the guts to come out in favor of legalization or decriminalization. There are many. You just have to dig a bit. Oh, here's a freebie: Nadelmann, Ethan. "Toward a Sane National Drug Policy." Rolling Stone, 5 May 1994: 24-26. Also, I don't have the specific articles, but check out the link between the rush to make marijuana illegal and the manipulation of national opinion by the Hearst Corp, who had the power of several newspapers under his belt from which to sermonize the evils of hemp. You might want to also check out the possible influence that Dupont Chemicals had at the time marijuana was first being demonized in the 1930's. No need to go into the scietific reports. There's really not enough reliable info for a good debate. The Nixon administration made sure that there was no evidence made public showing the positive side of pot. The trend has continued since that time. So I would go with the celebrity approach sprinkled with promises of economic upturns, and you've got a good case to present to your audience. Hold on, there's more! You can also research the medical journals from the early 1930's when marijuana was considered a valuable medicine. In the late 30's or early 40's, marijuana mysteriously disappeared from the medical journals altogether. Want more? Or can you fill 5 pages with that?
Definitely check out the NORML website. There are lots of good resources there. Another place to check out is Erowid. You might be able to find some good books as well--"The Emporer Wears No Clothes" by Jack Herer, and "Why Marijuana Should be Legal" By Ed Rosenthal are good reads. Here are some thoughts to get you thinking... Why is Marijuana illegal and alcohol legal? --An excellent research topic. Many believe the reasons are based on racism -- At the time when MJ was made illegal, mostly european men ruled the country, while younger black (Many Jazz musicians used it--Louis Armstrong and Billie Holiday just to name two) and hispanic people were using marijuana. My thought on this matter is that maybe because Europeans were in power during the 30's, they felt more comfortable with European intoxicants (EG alcohol), and made the intoxicants that minorities used illegal. Also, consider asians and the use of opium. Why is MJ completely illegal, when some more dangerous narcotics (Such as coke, opiates, and even MDMA) have been (and are still) used for medical purposes. Weigh the pros and cons of MJ intoxication.. Pros: Agreeability, calmness, appreciation of art, appetite stimulant, pain suppressent, etc. Cons: Short-term memory loss, damaging effects of inhaling smoke, diminished mental capability Ummmm, yeah. So there are some things to get you thinking. My advice is to read up on topics online, and maybe even go to your library. Be sure your statements are backed up with GOOD evidence. Don't say "My friend says...", say "MJ is useful for many medical conditions" (Dr. John Smith, P. 123) When writing a paper to CONVINCE someone of something, you should always try to avoid emotional appeals--And always use factual, rational arguments. This will always get you the credibility that you want. Good luck!!
Well, I guess it would be useful to know who Lillau312's audience is. If the audience is the general public, then swaying public opinion with the opinions of public figures might be the better route. If, on the other foot, the audience is, say, a conservative group of businessmen, then maybe the facts and figures would be the more appropriate route. Then, if you had another foot for the shoe to fit on, and the audience was a group of local white trailer trash, conspiracy claims would virtually guarantee at least a few votes for burning the bastards, then burning a phatty! Lillau312, will we be privy to the content of your 5 page report and its final grade? It would really spoil my high if you didn't follow up on this. And we don't want to be spoiling anyone's highs now, do we?
I haven't really put much thought into the audience yet. At the moment I think it is just trying to convince my professor...who i think already agrees. I am just looking for as much information as i can get so its not all my opinion and she doesnt think of me as such a burnout..even thoguh she already knows i am...haha...thank you
you might also try checking out the latest issue of Forbes...some good stats on mj, how much less addictive it is than other legal drugs...etc.... Good luck, Peace