The following is an outline of a PORTION of a group debate I presented in one of my classes. Please note that this is only the part I presented, which was only part of the opening 3 minute statement. If there are any other areas I did not address, please bring them up, and I can fill in on how our side respnded to it in the debate. Please excuse if there are formatting errors... the website seemed to like to change some of my formatting.
“Legalizing Marijuana”
Specific Purpose: To persuade my audience that the economic and health concerns of consuming marijuana justify keeping marijuana illegal in California for recreational use.
Central Idea/Claim: The use of marijuana as a recreational drug in the state of California should remain illegal.
Introduction
I. Grass, reefer, ganja, pot, Mary Jane, Aunt Mary, weed.
II. These are just a handful of alias’s that marijuana goes by.
III. Recently, the subject of the legalization of marijuana in California has become a hot topic, especially since, according to The New York Times, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger told reporters that in regard to legalizing marijuana, he did not support sweeping legislation, but that more information would help.
IV. I would like to briefly touch on the economic and health concerns associated with legalizing marijuana.
(Transition: Let’s begin with the money side of things.)
Body
I. Perhaps the most pronounced rationalization that is driving advocates for the legalization of marijuana is based on economics, who believe that by legalizing marijuana, will generate tax revenue will help to relieve some of the financial issues that California faces.
A. According to the Sacramento Bee, the Ventura County Star, and a number of other news outlets, the California Board of Equalization estimates that putting a $50 per ounce excise tax, sales tax and seller fees on marijuana would generate $1.4 billion dollars annually.
1. This is only a fraction of the estimated $42 billion dollar budget deficit for 2010.
2. The magazine “The Economist” states that four-fifths of outdoor marijuana plantations in California are run by Mexican drug cartels.
a. Now, don’t you find it hard to believe that they would adhere to regulations or taxes more than they do now?
B. Additionally, the $1.4 billion dollar estimate on income from marijuana is immensely inflated and inaccurate.
1.The estimate is based largely on assumptions that current variables, such as demand, pricing, supply, and other expenditures would remain the same, as they are now.
a. This is very unrealistic, as according to a CQ Researcher article, if you make marijuana legal, and tax it, the price would collapse because it is marijuana’s illegality that accounts for its current high pricing.
2.If we were to draw a comparison economically between the prohibition of alcohol in the 1920’s to the current prohibition of marijuana, we would again see evidence that the $1.4 billion dollar estimate is out of proportion.
a. A peer edited journal article titled An Economic Analysis of Alcohol Prohibition stated that when alcohol became illegal, “on average, prices rose, by several hundred percent in some cases.”
a. If we now draw that same correlation to the current prohibition on marijuana, this would indicate that should marijuana
become legalized, the prices would plummet.
(Transition: Another concern is the adverse health effects of the use of marijuana.)
II. We all know that smoking is bad for you, but how detrimental is marijuana to a person’s health?
A. There are both short and long term health risks associated with marijuana.
1.The short term effects according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration include: memory loss, distorted perception, trouble with thinking and problem solving, loss of motor skills, decrease in muscle strength, increased heart rate, and anxiety.
2.The long term health consequences of marijuana use are similar to those of tobacco cigarettes.
a. However, according to the National Institute of Health, someone who smokes five joints per week is equivalent to someone who smokes a full pack of cigarettes per day, or 7 packs of cigarettes per week.
b. Additionally, smoking a marijuana cigarette every other day for a year will decrease a person’s white blood cell count by approximately 39% lower than normal, thus damaging their immune system and making them significantly more susceptible to infection and sickness.
B. Advocates for the legalization of marijuana also draw comparisons to tobacco cigarettes and alcohol, stating that each have effects similar to that in marijuana usage.
1.For example, alcohol is legal so why does marijuana have to be illegal?
2.There are similar short term effects to marijuana, such as reduction in alertness, coordination, and reaction time, all of which are needed for driving,
a. Well, according to both the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and WebMD, these short term effects hang around in your system for as long as 24 hours after smoking.
b. This means that there is no “sobering up for an hour” because a person would still be impaired well after the high from the marijuana wears off.
Conclusion
I. Overall, the recent subject about the legalization of marijuana for recreational use in California has grown dramatically, largely due to California’s budget crisis.
a. However with people grasping at straws for ANYTHING to try and help the California economy, they turned to the possible legalization of marijuana.
II. Additionally, health concerns related to the consumption of marijuana is also something to keep in mind.
a. Not only are the short and long term health consequences greater than those of cigarettes or alcohol, but the short term effects of smoking marijuana stick in your system much longer than alcohol does.
III. The strongest argument for the legalization of marijuana is the need to help the California budget crisis.
a. Unfortunately, the economic projections that have been created just simply are unrealistic.
IV. With these points in mind, California should keep recreational use of marijuana illegal.