Jujj
Marcus Tilley
Jason Garrett
Speech (Public Speaking) 1pm-3:10pm
November 10, 2012 Marijuana Legalization
Specific Purpose: To persuade my audience that marijuana should be legalized and for them to act upon this issue.
Thesis Statement: Legalizing marijuana can greatly help our economy in several different ways and there’s really no point for it to be illegal when it’s a valuable, natural resource.
Intro: In my opinion, the “War on Drugs” is a waste of tax payers dollars. Alcohol abuse kills 75,000 people a year, tobacco kills 100,000 people a year, a legal prescription drugs kill 100,000 people a year. Marijuana kills zero. The statistics for violent crime and accidental death follow the same pattern. So the question that has failed to be answered, “Why is marijuana illegal in the first place?”
Arguments:
1. Liberty: We should have the freedom to use marijuana. Individuals deserve the right to decide whether or not they should use marijuana. The government should not tell individuals what to do as long as they do not harm others. 2. Cost: Were spending money when we could be making it. We could save billions of dollars every year as a nation if we stop wasting money locking people up for having marijuana. In addition, if marijuana were legal, the government would be able to collect taxes on it, and would have a lot more money to pay for effective drug education programs and other important economical issues. 3. Failure: Prohibition doesn’t work in our society. Education and treatment are better ways to address the drug problem versus locking people up, over-crowding prisons, creating long time criminals through the system, and wasting tax payers dollars. 4. Medicinal Use: It helps stimulate appetite and relieves stress, along with nausea in cancer and AIDS patients. 5. Hemp: It is a valuable natural resource that has agricultural and industrial uses.
Conclusion: So ask yourself; is it worth it to stop the legalization of
Jason Garrett
Speech (Public Speaking) 1pm-3:10pm
November 10, 2012 Marijuana Legalization
Specific Purpose: To persuade my audience that marijuana should be legalized and for them to act upon this issue.
Thesis Statement: Legalizing marijuana can greatly help our economy in several different ways and there’s really no point for it to be illegal when it’s a valuable, natural resource.
Intro: In my opinion, the “War on Drugs” is a waste of tax payers dollars. Alcohol abuse kills 75,000 people a year, tobacco kills 100,000 people a year, a legal prescription drugs kill 100,000 people a year. Marijuana kills zero. The statistics for violent crime and accidental death follow the same pattern. So the question that has failed to be answered, “Why is marijuana illegal in the first place?”
Arguments:
1. Liberty: We should have the freedom to use marijuana. Individuals deserve the right to decide whether or not they should use marijuana. The government should not tell individuals what to do as long as they do not harm others. 2. Cost: Were spending money when we could be making it. We could save billions of dollars every year as a nation if we stop wasting money locking people up for having marijuana. In addition, if marijuana were legal, the government would be able to collect taxes on it, and would have a lot more money to pay for effective drug education programs and other important economical issues. 3. Failure: Prohibition doesn’t work in our society. Education and treatment are better ways to address the drug problem versus locking people up, over-crowding prisons, creating long time criminals through the system, and wasting tax payers dollars. 4. Medicinal Use: It helps stimulate appetite and relieves stress, along with nausea in cancer and AIDS patients. 5. Hemp: It is a valuable natural resource that has agricultural and industrial uses.
Conclusion: So ask yourself; is it worth it to stop the legalization of