Proposition Step (THESIS)
Everyone should support the legalization of marijuana in order to ascertain the resultant benefits.
Attention Step
Have you ever been found on the wrong side of the law by using marijuana?
Remember an incident you observed or caught on news where and individual was sentenced or fined for being in possession of marijuana.
Need Step
Legalizing marijuana would end the costly enforcement of marijuana laws. Millions of dollars are used annually by law enforcement agencies to apprehend the violator of the marijuana laws. Cash is required to fund the police cars’ fueling and their remuneration to arrest abusers of marijuana. Additional resources are channeled in the prosecution and rehabilitation efforts for people who use marijuana. The medical management for the rehabilitation of people dependent on marijuana is also expensive. Moreover, legalizing marijuana will save the police much time in favor of handling other pressing societal issues. Findings from Washington DC show that the number of arrests made due to the possession of marijuana reduced considerably after its legalization from over 5000 cases to less than 200 cases in a year (Yu et al., 2020). Therefore, legalizing marijuana will save law enforcers a significant amount of time and capital.
Satisfaction Step
The legalization of marijuana reduces the disproportionate targeting of people of color. Statistics show that all the racial groups in the United States use marijuana for medical or recreational purposes. However, individuals from the African American community are primarily targeted by the criminalization laws compared to their whites counterparts. The arrests made due to the possession and abusing marijuana among the black community are high (Smart & Pacula, 2019). Furthermore, the length of sentences given to black individuals is comparatively longer. Charging individuals for the possession of marijuana can impair their ability to secure employment, acquire houses, and get loans or financial aids for schooling (Smart & Pacula, 2019). Unfortunately, despite the significant reductions in the number of arrests made due to the possession of marijuana, the rates of discrimination in the arrests made are still high (Yu et al., 2020). The legalization of marijuana will therefore result in the lowering of the number of arrests.
Visualization Step
- Improved safety of marijuana products (Yu et al., 2020)
- Controlled selling of marijuana to children
- Reduced number of arrests for the possession of marijuana (Smart & Pacula, 2019).
- Decreased cost of enforcing anti-marijuana laws.
Action Step
- Support calls to legalize marijuana (Yu et al., 2020)
- Avoiding to drive while under the influence of marijuana (Smart & Pacula, 2019).
- Responsible consumption of marijuana to reduce chances of addiction (Smart & Pacula, 2019).
References
Pacula, R. L., & Smart, R. (2017). Medical marijuana and marijuana legalization. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 13, 397–419. Web.
Smart, R., & Pacula, R. L. (2019). Early evidence of the impact of cannabis legalization on cannabis use, cannabis use disorder, and the use of other substances: Findings from state policy evaluations. The American Journal f Drug And Alcohol Abuse, 45(6), 644–663. Web.
Yu, B., Chen, X., Chen, X., & Yan, H. (2020). Marijuana legalization and historical trends in marijuana use among US residents aged 12–25: Results from the 1979–2016 National Survey on drug use and health. BMC Public Health, 20(1), 156. Web.