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Writing project 2 final portfolio

It can ease chronic pain and help those suffering from insomnia, but it may also raise the

risk of getting schizophrenia and cause heart attacks. The debate over the benefits of marijuana is

relevant especially today as more states are legalizing the drug for both its medical and

recreational uses. Supported by its therapeutic effects, ever more progressive laws, and

enthusiastic attitude from the public, marijuana is earning a reputation of a medicine, which led

people to question the potential impact of the legalization. Two academic sources that provided

interesting perspectives on this issue were Legalization of medical marijuana and marijuana use

among youths by Bettina Friese and Joel W. Grube, and Marijuana Legalization: Impact on

Physicians and Public Health by Wilkinson, Samuel T., Stephanie Yarnell, Rajiv Radhakrishnan,

Samuel A. Ball, and Deepak Cyril D'Souza. The first article takes a sociological approach to

explain how our attitudes toward cannabis affect the decriminalization. The latter takes a

biological approach and examines the imminent health issues that result from marijuana use to

argue that decriminalization of cannabis is harmful. Although each articles approach the

legalization through different disciplines and research methods, both mutually agree that the

legalization of marijuana damages the youth and the society.

The article, Legalization of Medical Marijuana and Marijuana Use Among Youths

argues from a sociological perspective to explain how the societys attitude towards marijuana

have a critical impact on the decriminalization of marijuana; specifically, the authors examine the

relationship between marijuana use and marijuana norms among the youth by introducing the

increased availability of medical marijuana in the United States and referring to a specific study

that displays a strong correlation between voting intention for marijuana legalization and

marijuana use attitudes. For example, A study that examined whether the legalization of
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medical marijuana changed attitudes and marijuana use in California concluded that policy

changes were a result of attitudes rather than attitudes being a reflection of policy change

(Khatapoush & Hallfors, 2004). Using this evidence, they explain that an increase in marijuana

use implies that the drug is safe and normative to the society although it remains illegal as a

schedule I controlled substance. Because the youth is raised in an environment where cannabis

use is common, they are more likely to be accustomed to the use from young ages, and disregard

the long term effects, such as lack of motivation. The authors highlight that this environment and

peoples attitudes toward the policy change are the origins of social issues. Moreover, these

factors are common in states that have already legalized marijuana, as seen in This same study

found that youths from states with medical marijuana laws perceived marijuana use to be less

risky (Wall et al., 2011).Through using reliable data and references from other scholarly

articles, the authors acquire credibility and strengthen their argument that the normative

environment plays a significant role in shifting peoples attitudes toward the legalization.

Meanwhile in Marijuana Legalization: Impact on Physicians and Public Health. the

authors prioritize the potential impact of marijuanas legalization on public health as well as

conditions for which marijuana may be a legitimate treatment option. Although they mention the

benefits of cannabis, the main objective is to convey that the adverse health effects outweigh the

reward. For example, Three small RCTs (total N = 36) suggest cannabidiol may be useful in the

treatment of epilepsy, but this evidence is insufficient to draw definitive conclusions of

cannabidiols long-term safety and efficacy (Gloss D, Vickrey B. 2014). In this example, the

authors refer to the use of clinical marijuana, and describe a situation where its use is justified.

Their intention is not to encourage marijuana use; rather, they mention the therapeutic effects of

cannabis to argue that further research is required. In addition, adverse health outcomes
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associated with cannabis use such as, transient psychosis-like effects, including paranoia, ideas

of reference, flight of ideas, and auditory/visual hallucination (Radhakrishnan R, Wilkinson ST,

DSouza DC. 2014). are listed to highlight the articles biological perspective. Significant portion

of the article emphasizes the direct consequences of marijuana use rather than the

decriminalization because the law itself does not directly impact an individuals health; it is the

increase in use that results from the legalization. Because people rely more on those who can

demonstrate deep expertise and trust them to understand the scope of an issue, the authors

provide both positive and negative effects of marijuana, using specific examples and reliable

statistics. This not only allows them to prove their knowledge in the field and obtain credibility,

but also persuades the audience that marijuana legalization indirectly leads to further health

issues despite its medical benefits. Both articles contribute to each of their academic disciplines

by adding new and reliable information that can be further analyzed or used for research. As each

article reflects typical conventions of their genres, the audience is able to further grasp their

theme.

The audience of these articles are sociology, biology scholars and students. The typical

conventions of a discourse community provide examples, unique lexicons, and a form of

intercommunication among its members. The biology article successfully follows these norms, as

exemplified when it illustrates medical lexicons to describe the components of cannabis, such as

cannabinoids, flavonoids, terpinoids, and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) (Wilkinson,

Samuel T., et al. 2016). Medical lexicons play an important role in describing practices that require

a set of terms beyond ordinary language. The authors utilize medical terms and formal diction to

clarify that the intended audience are scholars and students studying in the medical field. In

contrast, the sociology article appeals to a broader community and allows people not within that
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field of profession to understand. Although the authors use formal diction to present their

information in a professional tone, the audience can easily understand their intentions. For

example, These prevention efforts should focus on norms surrounding marijuana use in the

community, family and among peers, availability of marijuana and enforcement in order to reduce

marijuana use among youths (Friese, Bettina and Joel W. Grube 2011) presents a simple, yet clear

diction. Whether they are marijuana advocates or adversaries, anyone interested in cannabis

legalization can access this article to know how it affects their lives. Moreover, it sends a message

to sociology scholars that further research and prevention are crucial to reduce cannabis use. The

use of specific lexicons and evidence in each disciplines plays a significant part in determining

audience.

In conclusion, the debate whether marijuana use is beneficial or detrimental to our society

will continue to exist as the legal status of marijuana is rapidly changing. However, the studies

suggest that the normative environment is correlated to the increase in marijuana use, which raises

public health issues. My objective was comparing how effective biologists and sociologist were in

informing the audience about the potential impact of marijuana legalization and how each authors

communicate with their audience using different emphasis, rhetoric and evidence. For those who

are curious about how academic disciplines present their studies, it is important to know how

authors depict their objectives through emphasis and utilize references to attract a certain

community. In addition, using an appropriate evidence is essential in clarifying and strengthening

the argument. Although the status of cannabis remains legal in many states, it does not mean we

can disregard the negative impacts of marijuana on our society and well-being.
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Works Cited

Wilkinson, Samuel T., et al. "Marijuana Legalization: Impact on Physicians and Public

Health." Annual Review of Medicine, vol. 67, Jan. 2016, pp. 453-466. EBSCOhost,

doi:10.1146/annurev-med-050214-013454.

Works Cited

Friese, Bettina and Joel W. Grube. "Legalization of Medical Marijuana and Marijuana Use

among Youths." Drugs: Education, Prevention & Policy, vol. 20, no. 1, Feb. 2013, pp. 33-39.

EBSCOhost, doi:10.3109/09687637.2012.713408.