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Say Yes to the Herb
I. Attention Step
• Legalizing marijuana could make the country billions of dollars, increase
jobs and help the sick. How could we not want to legalize something that
is so beneficial to the economy.
II. Need statement
I. Legalizing marijuana could not only save money but could also increase tax
revenue and jobs.
• Since the war on drugs that was implemented by president Nixon there
have been over 25 million Americans that have been arrested for violations
pertaining to marijuana which has cost us over $1 trillion to prosecute.
• In the states that have already legalized marijuana for recreational
purposes arrests have dropped and the marijuana use in teens has
remained constant.
• Legalizing marijuana will raise millions in tax revenue (The states that have
legalized it have made over $200 million in tax revenue, while saving
money from agencies that are burdened by dealing with the arrest for illegal
marijuana.)
• According to the FBI “43.3% of all arrests for drug abuse violations are for
people possessing marijuana. While 6 percent were for sales and
manufacturing. Whether you are for or against the legalization you are
paying for marijuana to be illegal.”(Mic Staff,2013)
II. Marijuana is safer than alcohol and tobacco
• Non-toxic
• Marijuana is an herb. It can be grown at low cost and can replace many
of the pharmaceutical medications, which is why they are so opposed
to marijuana legalization.
• No fatal overdose
• It can replace some of the toxic, additive Pharmaceuticals. We are
suffering an opioid overdose epidemic, killing more people annually
than illegal drugs.
IV: Marijuana prohibition funds the wrong people
V: Legalizing marijuana protects kids better than prohibition
• Most high school kids would be able to find someone to buy a bag of
weed from.
• Because there are no licenses to sell, since it is illegal, nobody checks
id when selling to them, because there is no risk to lose your license.
• If legalized than there would be stores that are secure and do not
allow kids to purchase.
• While this wouldn’t stop kids from being able to get marijuana, just
like it can not stop kids from getting alcohol or cigarettes, this would
mean that it would be more limited, and an adult would have to help
them get it.
VI: Boost the economy
• Legalizing marijuana creates jobs, from growing to harvesting, shipping
and receiving and selling in the stores. What better way to help the
economy then to create jobs and impose a tax on something that so many
