Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Rhetorical situation:
Writer: Me, I live in the US and the legalization of marijuana will influence a lot more than just
the people who use it. This is a big topic now because in some states its legal and in others it’s
on its way to legalization. Personally I live in Pennsylvania where marijuana is not legal.
The writer’s goal/argument: Persuade people to be more on board with the idea of legalizing
recreational marijuana at the federal level and get rid of the idea that marijuana is bad. Also, to
have people even vote in elections for people who will fight to make it legal.
The intended audience: US voters who disagree or are on the fence about legalizing
marijuana.
Extra background info + context: Marijuana is legal in some states (mostly the west coast)
Model Op-Ed: Rep. Tim Ryan: Marijuana should be legal in all 50 states
You could probably name at least 5 problems off the top of your head that are going on in
America right now (unemployment, education funding, overcrowded jails, etc.) and from the title
you’re probably wondering how marijuana could possibly solve those problems. Well, marijuana
itself might not be able to fight all these problems but the legalization of it can. For example,
marijuana itself won't solve the failing education system in America (I don't suggest giving weed
to children), but the legalization of it could bring more money into the education system. Weed
being legalized doesn't just affect the people who use it; it affects the government, businesses,
people who work in the medical field, researchers, farmers, and everyone in between. There’s a
As a college student who has social media, I hear and see people complaining all the time.
Whether it be potholes in the road or the failing education system, the legalization of marijuana
could help by bringing in more money with marijuana taxes. Colorado's marijuana tax money
goes towards education along with other important things. The money could also go towards
helping solve the opioid epidemic by setting up more supervised injection sites.
Speaking of the opioid epidemic, a lot of people think marijuana will only lead to the use of
opioids, but studies have actually showed the opposite; marijuana can be used to ease opioid
withdrawal symptoms.
Juuling is also becoming a large concern for health especially because it's hitting teens the
hardest. Recently there has been a big concern about the deaths from juuling. Juuling is very
addictive because of the nicotine. People can also become addicted to marijuana, but it is not
nearly as severe as nicotine. Also, it is easier to stop a marijuana addiction than a nicotine
Alcohol goes along with this issue. Alcohol is legal even though it has shown to be more harmful
and addictive than marijuana. If you’re wondering how alcohol is more harmful than marijuana
The main point I want to make from this is that people don’t die from marijuana and so many
people die every year from alcohol and tobacco, but yet they’re still legal when weed isn’t.
People really only die from weed when it's laced, and when marijuana is legalized it’s regulated,
Marijuana itself even helps people and has health benefits. It can help people focus, relax, and
sleep. It can also relieve pain so people can use marijuana instead of strong painkillers that lead
to opioid addiction.
Something that I recently came across is that some runners actually use marijuana to help them
run long distances. As an athlete, I don't think anyone would want to use marijuana before
playing in a game anyways, but maybe for conditioning it could help. Weed can also help ease
pain for athletes. Currently marijuana is against the NCAA, but it is also against federal law so
perhaps when it becomes legal at the federal level rules will change with the NCAA.
Also, for safety reasons, legalizing marijuana would allow people to feel more comfortable
talking to a doctor about marijuana. The more legal it becomes the more informed doctors are
going to be and the more research will be done which in return will lead to making marijuana
safer. For example research was recently done on driving high.
Marijuana legal or illegal, people will continue to use it, so might as well make it legal so people
Lots of jails are overcrowded. Legalizing marijuana would get a lot of people out of jail making
more room. Also, people's lives won't be ruined for the possession of marijuana and the sooner
marijuana is legalized the sooner people can get their lives back. Recently there was a random
friend of a friend of a friend… from Michigan at my apartment who was telling us about how he
was in jail for possession of marijuana and after he was released they legalized it. He’s not the
only one whos had to deal with this, there are people still in prison now where marijuana is legal
and people are working on getting them out. If marijuana was legalized at the federal level this
would not be an issue for people anymore. This would also save money for prisons because
they wouldn't have to house as many people. Also studies have shown that more time is spent
on serious crimes when cannabis is legalized therefore more people who actually should have
Going to jail isn't the only thing that can mess up people's lives. The relationships people have
can change based on the other person judging them for doing something illegal, even though
they’re doing the same thing someone else is doing legally in a different state. So, hopefully
along with the legalization will come the change in people's opinions on marijuana being the
devil. I personally know a lot of people who use marijuana to help them and for recreational use
and they’re not bad people at all, they’re some of my favorite people, including my own family
members. This isn't just about personal relationships either, it can affect professional ones as
well, with the legalization less people would lose their jobs for possession of marijuana.
Speaking of jobs unemployment is another big issue. The legalization of marijuana will create
several new jobs and businesses. People are needed to grow, research, and distribute it. For
example, many jobs were created in Colorado, where weed is legal. Also, more businesses can
to buy over a certain amount at a time and no driving under the influence. In California it is
illegal to use it in any public place and you have to be 21 or older to buy or use it.
The reason marijuana needs to be legalized at the federal level is because even if it is legal in a
state dispensaries and growers can still get in trouble with the federal law. Also, legalization at
the federal level would get rid of criminal records for past convictions.
Works cited
Awad, Ann Marie. “Where Does All The Marijuana Money Go? Colorado's Pot Taxes,
https://www.cpr.org/2018/10/22/where-does-all-the-marijuana-money-go-colorados-pot-taxes-ex
plained/.
Awad, Ann Marie. “Where Does All The Marijuana Money Go? Colorado's Pot Taxes,
https://www.cpr.org/2018/10/22/where-does-all-the-marijuana-money-go-colorados-pot-ta
xes-explained/.
Doyle, Alison. “Check Out These Jobs in the Legal Marijuana Industry.” The Balance
https://www.thebalancecareers.com/legal-marijuana-industry-jobs-2059646.
Harrar, Sari. “Driving After Taking Any Form of Marijuana Is Unsafe.” AARP, 3 Sept. 2019,
https://www.aarp.org/health/drugs-supplements/info-2019/cannabis-driving.html.
Ingraham, Christopher. “The Marijuana Industry Created More than 18,000 New Jobs in
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/10/27/the-marijuana-industry-creat
ed-over-18000-new-jobs-in-colorado-last-year/.
Kelly, Erin. “Why More Athletes Are Turning to Weed.” Greatist, Greatist, 31 May 2019,
https://greatist.com/play/marijuana-effects-on-runners#1.
https://www.criminaldefenselawyer.com/resources/criminal-defense/federal-crime/medical
-marijuana-federal-laws.htm.