DKSponjah

sup every1,
I have to do a persuasive speech for my english class, and I chose legalizing marijuana. I was just wondering if any1 can help me with certain points that will help me win the debate. I need 3 main points of why it should be legalized as well as something from the opposition and a solution to the opposition's argument. I would also like to know where I could find information on marijuana to make my debate even stronger.

jaman

thread on pros and cons

www.norml.org

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freedom to grow , freedom to smoke .

Mr. President , please relieve us of our dependency on foreign oil !

Legalize hemp production !

AndieBear

try the search engine at the top of the page. Just enter in your topic (ie:crime reduction) and see what threads turn up. We've had several great posts debating the issue, backed up with sources. The search engine is the easiest way to find them.

To help get you started, I'll help you brainstorm for your 3 ideas, and you resolution.

1)Legalization of marijuana would actually reduce crime by taking the most popular used illicit drug off the black market and creating a regulated market for it.

2)Prohibition laws are unconstitutional, which is why it was not outright banned in 1937. Instead, they decided to tax the hell out of it, so no one could afford it. (check out the aclu or libertarian website for more info)

3)Marijuana can be used as medicine and hemp can be used for all kinds of things (ie: food, rope, paint, textiles), including more effecient fuel than gasoline for vehicles. It is a rather easy crop to grow, (being a weed and all ), producing more and is less damaging to the soil than trees for paper.

Your resolution should probably include something with children, as that is very often the argument of the prohibitionist. Let them know, that isf marijuana is made legal, the chances for a minor to recieve it is less likely with a regulated market, similar to alcohol. On the black market, there are no restrictions. In fact, some dealers purposefully use minors to distribute their products (usually done with other substances, but is possible when mj is classified with the other stuff) due to the lighter sentencing within the juvenile courts.

I'd love to write more...but my flu medicine is kicking in and it's telling me to go to bed, before I stop making sense...if it hasn't happened already. Good luck!

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Ten people who speak, make more noise than ten thousand who are silent.

greypoe

Our brains have special receptors which are stimulated only by the chemical in cannabis.
This shows the human race may have depended on cannabis in the past.
Marijuana was so important, our brain has adapted to its use.


In the brain, THC connects to specific sites called cannabinoid receptors on nerve cells and influences the activity of those cells. Some brain areas have many cannabinoid receptors; others have few or none. Many cannabinoid receptors are found in the parts of the brain that influence pleasure, memory, thought, concentration, sensory and time perception, and coordinated movement(5).