Mary Jane
I. Attention getter a) Flat- Anti pot ad i. This depiction of those who do use marijuana is farfetched, many successful people in America use marijuana regularly such as; Micheal Phelps, Barack Obama, Micheal Bloomberg, Arnold schwarzengger, and Stephen King are just a few.
II. Keeping marijuana illegal is expensive a) Would save all levels of government money, currently marijuana prohibition costs US taxpayers nearly $42 billion dollars in lost tax revenues and criminal justice costs, according to the economic analysis “Lost Taxes and Other Costs of Marijuana Laws.” i. Tax payers foot the bill of housing, food, health care, court costs, attorney fees, and other fees just to lock up those who use marijuana. ii. We could save billions of dollars if we stopped locking up nonviolent marijuana users, in addition profiting from the legalization of marijuana collecting taxes on it. iii. If legalized, initial money used prohibiting marijuana, as well as profit from taxes could pay for effective drug education programs and other worthy causes.
III. People warrant the freedom to use marijuana a) Philosophically speaking, instead of asking why marijuana should be legal, one should ask, why should marijuana be illegal? i. The government should only have rights to limit choices of individual’s choices if they result in actions endangering someone else. ii. Government may have the right to impose on individuals actions if they pose a significant threat to the individual. b) Marijuana is far less dangerous than some drugs which are legal such as tobacco and alcohol. i. People die from alcohol overdoses, there has never been a fatal marijuana overdose. ii. Alcohol use damages the brain, where as marijuana does not. Journal of Neurotoxicology and Teratology suggests
II. Keeping marijuana illegal is expensive a) Would save all levels of government money, currently marijuana prohibition costs US taxpayers nearly $42 billion dollars in lost tax revenues and criminal justice costs, according to the economic analysis “Lost Taxes and Other Costs of Marijuana Laws.” i. Tax payers foot the bill of housing, food, health care, court costs, attorney fees, and other fees just to lock up those who use marijuana. ii. We could save billions of dollars if we stopped locking up nonviolent marijuana users, in addition profiting from the legalization of marijuana collecting taxes on it. iii. If legalized, initial money used prohibiting marijuana, as well as profit from taxes could pay for effective drug education programs and other worthy causes.
III. People warrant the freedom to use marijuana a) Philosophically speaking, instead of asking why marijuana should be legal, one should ask, why should marijuana be illegal? i. The government should only have rights to limit choices of individual’s choices if they result in actions endangering someone else. ii. Government may have the right to impose on individuals actions if they pose a significant threat to the individual. b) Marijuana is far less dangerous than some drugs which are legal such as tobacco and alcohol. i. People die from alcohol overdoses, there has never been a fatal marijuana overdose. ii. Alcohol use damages the brain, where as marijuana does not. Journal of Neurotoxicology and Teratology suggests