Anthony Marinola
Mrs. Newell
ENC 1101
6 October, 2014
To Legalize or Not To Legalize
It's been occurring all over the country from Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado and twenty other states. The legalization of marijuana has now spread from the north to the southern states, a prime example being Florida. Considered by many to be an expanding medicine in the country has brought much conservancy on weather or not Florida will climb aboard on legalizing marijuana. There are many different stand points on this topic. Two articles from the "Huffington Post," one by Janie Campbell, showing the numbers and facts about the matter at hand from the peoples side and political side. The other has a pro marijuana standpoint and is written by J.J. Colagrande.
In Janie Campbell's writing from the "Huffington Post" she raves about how "Florida residents don’t just love medical marijuana, they support the recreational use of it, too." Pointing their direction on a pro legalization of marijuana in Florida. Stating that eighty-eight percent of registered Florida voters support the use of medical marijuana, the majority being citizens 29 years of age and younger. Janie Campbell throws in other polls to back her research up, like the one Quinnipiac University has done about what our political parties are in favor of and are not. Democrats being most favorable toward medical use in Florida, Independents right behind them for legalization, and Republicans simply opposing the idea. Campbell's article mainly pertains to the numbers of what the people, including politicians, in Florida want. Her diction throughout the article is detached through the use of facts and numbers. This, in-turn, gives a some what cold, but lush tone from the facts given in this article. She's not reaching out to a broad spectrum of people in particular, just anyone who has interest in the matter.
J.J. Colagrande's article from a separate "Huffington Post" has a overall pro view on the matter of Florida passing legalization of marijuana. He see's the issue at hand to be conflicting, as for almost everyone he knows smokes marijuana. The way he represents the drugs purposes gives off the impression that J.J. thinks it can be substantially useful and if we want to use this substance for medicine or recreational purposes and the government shouldn't tell us what we can and can not put into our bodies. The direction of the writing than takes a turn on whether the people can be trusted with the circulation medical marijuana because there are many who can and will manipulate it. J.J. thinks it won't only be manipulated, but abused as well, "There isn't a state in the union with more fly-by-nighters, get-rich-quick reprobates, scallywags, and peddlers of fraud, abuse and mismanagement." The writer also gives insight on how people in Florida may neglect medical marijuana, but he equalizes this by stating how "Marijuana never killed anyone."
Shifting to questioning the laws and punishments for possession, growing, or distributing, implying they are all pointless. Acknowledgement of this brings me to believe that he's leaning towards the decriminalization of marijuana as well. An example of this can be seen in a sly comment J.J. made saying "Shucks, I'll even take a hit from the bong out-of-respect for the victory, especially in the name of all those