Hawkins, John. ” 5 Reasons Marijuana Should Remain Illegal” Town Hall. Town Hall, Jan 21, 2014. Web Aug 11, 2015
John Hawkins is a journalist for the website Town Hall, which has been around for 20 years. In this article Hawkins tries to argue that marijuana should remain illegal. He believes that marijuana is extremely addictive and that the legalization of marijuana in Amsterdam didn’t work out so well. He also argues that marijuana is terrible for your mental and physical health and that the drug decimates many peoples lives. Hawkins then even goes on to throw a jab at Obama by saying “Even the ones that get somewhere in life, like Barack Obama, usually turn out to be mediocrities.” Although John is trying to make an argument it all collapses on it self when he tries to explain it.
I do not agree with Hawkins first reason that marijuana is extremely addictive because the use of marijuana is not addictive. Many people believe it is enjoyable because of the euphoria it gives you and when something is enjoyable you want to do it as much as you can within reason of course. Its like sex, sex is enjoyable and people try to get it when they can but that doesn’t make sex addictive. Hawkins has to understand that the people who say that marijuana is addictive have no self control what so ever which will allow them to get addicted to anything.
As the article goes on the author states another reason why it should be illegal by saying that marijuana didn’t work out so well in Amsterdam. I disagree with the author because what happened in Amsterdam is not what is happening in Colorado and Washington state. He argues that the first school is banning the use of marijuana in school. Kids should not even be smoking pot unless it is for a medical condition. The U.S made laws saying that you can not buy marijuana unless you are of 18 years of age. This mean that it will now be harder for underage kids to get marijuana if it is legalized since it will end the black market sell of it and have an age requirement to buy it.
I disagree with Hawkins next claim that marijuana is bad for both our mental health and our physical health. Although marijuana can be seen to cause problems we have other legal substances that cause worse problems to the user health. In example alcohol, can be the main cause of deaths from alcohol poisoning to drunk driving to depressing people enough to commit suicide. To have this substance legal is the real problem to today’s society. We tried to stop it before with the prohibition act but yet we still have it till this day.
Hawkins last claim that marijuana decimates peoples lives is just an opinion. That is why I disagree with that claim because he believes that marijuana can stop you from getting into college and finishing high school. Right away I can say that that’s not true because of the many friends I had are going to college. One of my friends being the Valedictorian that is being accepted to the University of Texas, also other friends who got into Texas A&M. Which means marijuana has no effect on a persons attempt to make it anywhere in life.
Overall, Hawkins ends up making an argument that would be ineffective to his intended audience. He is just a journalist with an opinion that I’m sure many before me have shot down time and time again.
It’s interesting to see the different viewpoint and how they’re backed up. I mostly have been reading about how it is addictive so it is good to read from “the other side.” It makes me rethink my believes in a way, I guess because the topic of marijuana, in my opinion, has many different layers to it.
I disagree with Hawkins as well. Obviously he know s that people can be successful despite smoking marijuana, he states that even the President turn out be mediocrities. Then how did make it all the way to being president? . I feel like he just wants to back up his argument by using President Obama as an example. I also agree with you that other substances can be extremely addictive such as alcohol.
I agree with you about how there are way other dangerous substances such as alcohol that affect people more than marijuana. Alcohol as you say has been the main cause for health issues and deaths in car accidents. It is a substance that should be prohibited because it can be addictive as where marijuana has been shown that it is not addictive.
What are the odd of me and you using the same article Kevin? I disagree with John Hawkins as well because I feel that he is just randomly throwing people name and facts out to support his argument. Where is the fun in arguing a topic if majority facts are a lie?
Tobacco and alcohol trigger many accidents and kill many people. The differences between alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana are very controversial because its so difficult to draw the line for these substances. People have become successful using marijuana, but it could also be addictive sometimes. It can be the downside of some people’s success.
Although I do not necessarily agree with Hawkins’ point of view, his claims seem to be strongly backed by other events. (He referenced the negative effects legalizing marijuana had in Amsterdam.) I do agree that other substances such as alcohol and tobacco are equally, if not more, harmful than marijuana yet I don’t understand how they are legal meanwhile marijuana, which also has positive effects, is illegal.
I really like how descriptive your argument was. The first one however through me off when you compared it to sex. It was kind of random but I guess it could make a good argument. Then when you went on to explain how marijuana doesn’t prevent people from getting into college, I like how you inserted your own personal view from your friends. I too agree with you because I have a few friends who smoke marijuana actively as well and made it in college.
Good job. John Hawkins can go to sleep. John Hawkins needs to keep his ad hominems to himself. I do not agree with your first comparison because in some cases people do become addicted to sex. Other than that, everything else is great. Your refutations are awesome. Everything is awesome. Everything is cool when you are a part of team. Everything is awesome when you’re living our dream.
Cool, it seems like for the past few weeks, people have been posting many articles about the benefits of marijuana. Its almost kind of refreshing to see the other side of the argument. Not only was is good, but it was really informative and very detailed. Yet, for me personally this wouldn’t sway me on the side of anti-legalization.
It was nice to see a source arguing against marijuana legalization, in my opinion a lot of people kind of go with the flow, and say that marijuana should be legal. You did a good job of refuting Hawkins claims, constantly drawing attention to what he did wrong. I really liked that Hawkins brought up Amsterdam, there position is really interesting to look at.