John Hawkins's Argument For The Legalization Of Marijuana

In 2014, John Hawkins wrote an article about marijuana, and the position of its legalization. At this time, the states of Colorado and Washington had already legalized cannabis for recreational use for those twenty-one years of age and older. Many other states, such as New Jersey, Michigan, and Arizona, had legalized the use for medical reasons. Hawkins does not specify what class of legalization he is focusing on, but it is inferred he is speaking in general. Hawkins asks the question should marijuana be legalized? His conclusion is no. Hawkins brings up the point that marijuana is a highly addictive drug for some people. He quotes a doctor, who has experience treating those with addictions for many years. Dr. Drew Pinksy claims that although

He states that marijuana has negative effects on a human’s mental and physical health. Those who use marijuana have a high rate of bad memory, and the structure of their brain is not normal. These changes in the brain show comparison to schizophrenia. The earlier the human is introduced to cannabis, the more severe the effects will be. As for physical health, the use of marijuana is considerably worse than cigarette smoke. Lung problems occur near twenty years earlier than those who smoke tobacco. Marijuana usage in pregnant women can lead to birth defects and mental abnormalities. There is also an immensely higher chance the child may suffer from leukemia. People may argue the fact that smoking weed is arguably a better choice compared to other drugs such as meth and crack, but that does not take away the harmful medical effects it still has on

In the case when Hawkins states that, “we all realize smoking(tobacco) is a dirty habit…. While drinking is potentially dangerous”, he assumes that everyone agrees that smoking is frowned upon and alcohol is not as bad as marijuana or not as a dangerous. This is a value assumption that can cause a flaw in his argument because if one does not think that smoking tobacco is “dirty”, then they may not agree with the other points Hawkins makes, and as for the alcohol contribution, if one believes alcohol is more dangerous than marijuana then his arguments would be invalid because they are all about the dangers of marijuana