Marijuana Legalization an Analysis of Opposing Arguments
James Corbett
English 101-75
November 2, 2011
Essay 3 draft 1
The debate on the legalization of marijuana has been a long drawn out battle, these two articles, one from the CNBC website and the other from High Times magazine, reveal the many truths and misconceptions from each side of the argument. People who are advocates for the legalization of marijuana often end up being labeled as “pot heads” in society, while the people who are against the use and legalization of marijuana use misleading studies and information to support their argument. These opposing views often lead to heated debates with the marijuana advocates still being over powered by what the law says. In the CNBC article by Dr. Robert L. DuPont he uses many statistics and studies to reinforce his ideals that marijuana should stay illegal. Dr. DuPont states at the beginning of his article “Contrary to the beliefs of those who advocate the legalization of marijuana, the current balanced, restrictive, and bipartisan drug policies of the United States are working reasonably well and they have contributed to reductions in the rate of marijuana use in our nation.” He then goes on to state that the use of marijuana has been reduced 54% in the past 29 years. “Marijuana is the most commonly abused illegal drug in the U.S., and around the world,” DuPont stated after revealing that marijuana usage has significantly declined. Dr. DuPont goes on to reveal many misconceptions that advocates for the legalization of marijuana use in their arguments. He states that “There is common misconception that the principle costs of marijuana use are those related to the criminal justice system… the percentage of people in prison for marijuana use is less than one half of a percent,” most people that encounter the justice system for drug related crimes benefit the offender, the justice system can lead people to treatment. DuPont then uses a study done by MacCoun & Reuter that show legalized gambling has
English 101-75
November 2, 2011
Essay 3 draft 1
The debate on the legalization of marijuana has been a long drawn out battle, these two articles, one from the CNBC website and the other from High Times magazine, reveal the many truths and misconceptions from each side of the argument. People who are advocates for the legalization of marijuana often end up being labeled as “pot heads” in society, while the people who are against the use and legalization of marijuana use misleading studies and information to support their argument. These opposing views often lead to heated debates with the marijuana advocates still being over powered by what the law says. In the CNBC article by Dr. Robert L. DuPont he uses many statistics and studies to reinforce his ideals that marijuana should stay illegal. Dr. DuPont states at the beginning of his article “Contrary to the beliefs of those who advocate the legalization of marijuana, the current balanced, restrictive, and bipartisan drug policies of the United States are working reasonably well and they have contributed to reductions in the rate of marijuana use in our nation.” He then goes on to state that the use of marijuana has been reduced 54% in the past 29 years. “Marijuana is the most commonly abused illegal drug in the U.S., and around the world,” DuPont stated after revealing that marijuana usage has significantly declined. Dr. DuPont goes on to reveal many misconceptions that advocates for the legalization of marijuana use in their arguments. He states that “There is common misconception that the principle costs of marijuana use are those related to the criminal justice system… the percentage of people in prison for marijuana use is less than one half of a percent,” most people that encounter the justice system for drug related crimes benefit the offender, the justice system can lead people to treatment. DuPont then uses a study done by MacCoun & Reuter that show legalized gambling has
Cited: “The Top Ten Reasons Marijuana Should be Legal.” High Times Magazine. Reproduced in Alternet. 2007. http://www.alternet.org/drugs/60959/?page=1 DuPont, Dr. Robert. “Why We Should Not Legalize Marijuana.” CNBC Marijuana & Money. 2010. http://www.cnbc.com/id/36267223/Why_We_Should_Not_Legalize_Marijuana