Ethics

I. The legalization of Marijuana.

A. Attention Getter: There are many reasons on why people think that Marijuana should be legalized. Marijuana which is also known as cannabis is less harmful than alcohol or tobacco

B. Tie to the audience: Marijuana is already legal in some form in almost half of the states in the United States. Many people say Marijuana causes lung cancer. That is false. According to the American Medical Association, marijuana can actually increase lung strength and occasional smokers have healthier lungs than non-smokers.

II. The history of Marijuana

1. Marijuana has been used as a substance for euphoria since ancient times; it was described in a Chinese medical reference traditionally considered to be from 2737 B.C.

A. Its use went from China to India and then to North Africa and reached Europe at least as early as A.D. 500.

B. In 1545 the Spanish brought marijuana to the New World. The English introduced it in Jamestown in 1611 where it became a major commercial crop along with tobacco and was grown as a source of fiber.

C. In the 1960s marijuana was used by college students and “hippies” and became a symbol of rebellion against authority.

2. The Controlled Substances Act of 1970 classified marijuana along with heroin and LSD as a Schedule I drug.

A. Most marijuana at that time came from Mexico, but in 1975 the Mexican government agreed to destroy the crop by spraying it with the herbicide paraquat. Colombia then became the main supplier.

B. Reagan and Bush had zero tolerance for these drugs; this resulted in many administrations passing strict laws and severe sentences for possession of marijuana and a lot more vigilance and security against smuggling at the southern borders.

3. By using modern farming techniques, hemp growers have developed strains of cannabis which have much higher levels of THC than in the past.

A. THC levels averaged 1% in 1974 and 4% in 1994....