In Due Time

Sample Argument Paper

Note to reader: This draft is re-printed here with the author's permission. These student drafts are provided for a couple of reasons: first, to give you a taste of the variety of topics and approaches students have taken, and second, to provide instructors with readings that might be used in class discussions and activities. These samples are not perfect and represent final grades from across the grade scale (A through F), so please be forgiving, understanding, and respectful if you find errors or problems.

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Pope 1

Aaron Pope

Professor Peterson

Argument Essay

23 November 2014

In Due Time

The federal government has kept marijuana illegal for years, and it’s time that they change their minds and legalize it. Fifteen plus stats have already legalized it medically, and some states have legalized its recreational use as well. It’s time for the rest of the states to have some common sense and legalize this herb. This plant will be a multi-million dollar industry. This plant will reduce unemployment and open up thousands of jobs. Marijuana has recorded no deaths when under its influence, yet alcohol and tobacco have caused millions of deaths a year. Marijuana isn’t as dangerous as people may seem.

“As of now, 20 states have legalized marijuana for medical purposes, and voters in Colorado and Washington have approved marijuana for recreational use” (Ferner). There is no doubt that eventually the rest of the United States is going to cave in to this huge money maker. “The federal government continues to ban the plant; classifying it as a schedule I substance alongside drugs like heroin and LSD, and maintaining that it has “no currently accepted medical use”” (Ferner). Interesting enough they have proved that marijuana does actually have a medical use and it could potentially save thousands of people. This plant can possibly cure epilepsy, and that’s enough proof to me as a medical use. Families would have to drop everything and move to a state that’s legalized weed if a family member suffers from such disease. No one has the money to move to a week legal state, and if every state had it legalized this would not be an issue.

Cannabis can create thousands and thousands of jobs and it will reduce the unemployment rate. Although it is low, it can get lower from weed. This is a good opportunity for people to start over if they’ve screwed up and gets a job involving marijuana. You don’t need an education for selling or growing weed, so those not as privileged as others will get an opening to make some money and be successful. “[…] is creating one of the greatest business opportunities of the 21^st century” (Barcott). Yes, you will still have to learn all the tricks of the trade, but soon enough manufacturing the plant will be a simple task.

If they have legalized tobacco and alcohol then there is no question that marijuana can be legal. Compared to tobacco and alcohol, marijuana seems harmless. It also makes just about the same as those two as well. The U.S. is going to be better of making marijuana legal, because they will save money from marijuana involved arrests. They will also make millions of dollars from it as well, by taxing all of marijuana sales.

When marijuana goes completely legal, someone is going to want to bend the rules. With alcohol there is moonshine which is 100% alcohol and that is illegal for consumption, yet people still make it and drink it. So, with marijuana someone is going to make it extremely strong and try to use it. The government needs to regulate cannabis heavily to protect the public. Therefore, the federal government can regulate weed however they want just so it’ll go legal. This product needs to become legal and help our enormous debt in which we put ourselves in. Weed will be such huge revenue and will help with our debt. It may not help a ton, but I am certain that it’s going to make an impact.

20 plus states have legalized it medically and a few and legalized it completely. In my opinion it is harmless. It does have a medical purpose, and it embarrassing that the federal government thinks otherwise. Cannabis is going to create thousands of jobs, and help the less fortunate get jobs. Marijuana is going to make money for the government whether people like it or not. It’s going to become legal, just how much time it is going to take for them to legalize it. People may make more potent marijuana, but that can be regulated. Some rules can apply to that part of the legalization, but mostly all of it will be legal.

Works Cited

Barcott, Bruce. “The Great Marijuana Experiment: A Tale of Two Drug Wars.” Rolling Stone. 3 Jan. 2014. Web. 7 Nov. 2014

Ferner, Matt. “Lawmaker Predicts Marijuana Will Be Legal Within 5 Years.” The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 2 Apr. 2014. Web. 7 Nov. 2014.