Hook this part gets the reader s attention. You can use a: A Quotation that someone famous has said about your topic A Deep Thought or Thought Provoking Question about your topic An Anecdote or personal story that shows your topic in action Pick one, not all three!!! Introduction Some of my finest hours have been spent on my back veranda, smoking hemp and observing as far as my eye can see. (said by Thomas Jefferson, former President of the United States) What are people so excited about, anyway? I am getting pretty sick of driving downtown on April 20 every year and seeing a ragtag group of teenagers defiantly smoking up as they protest for their legal right to waste time. Lead into your topic (what your essay is about) Marijuana legalization has been under debate for many years at least as long as I can remember, and I am 45! State your thesis (your opinion about your topic) I believe that we should just end the fuss and legalize it. Body Paragraph #1 Topic Sentence (state your first point about the topic) People misinformed about its dangers First Reason Not addictive Specific Example Or use persuasion (an anecdote or other personal experience) Logic--Obviously, the vast majority of marijuana users are neither addicted nor almost addicted to cannabis. Their use doesn t escalate over time, they can enjoy its effects without endangering some major element of their lives. (from Dr. Wesely Boyd, MD-- Psychology Today) In my personal experience just hearing students talk about their weekend shenanigans, many of them use pot in moderation.
Explain why or how this example supports the first reason This shows how most users just treat it like a weekend part time affair. They like to spend time with Mary Jane, but only when it is convenient or doesn t get in the way of life. Unlike cigarette smoking, kids aren t rushing out to spend some quality time with Mary Jane in the smoke pit between every break to maintain the addiction. Second Reason Specific Example Medically beneficial Logic according to the website WebMD, marijuana is used medically to treat pain caused by cancer, migraines or other long term conditions like glaucoma. Also, the following conditions are treated with pot: Muscle spasms caused by multiple sclerosis Nausea from cancer chemotherapy Poor appetite and weight loss caused by chronic illness, such as HIV, or nerve pain Seizure disorders Crohn's disease Explain why or how this example supports the second reason When the pain of one of these conditions is knocking at your door, screaming to be let in, it makes sense that you would do anything to avoid it. Conclusion (restate your opinion) In conclusion, pot should be legalized because people are misinformed about its risks and are unaware of its benefits. Body Paragraph #2 Topic Sentence (state your first point about the topic) Could be turned into something financially positive for Canada First Reason Save money
Specific Example The petition draws attention to Harvard economist Jeffrey Miron, whose findings highlight the substantial cost-savings our government could incur if it were to tax and regulate marijuana, rather than needlessly spending billions of dollars enforcing its prohibition. Miron predicts that legalizing marijuana would save $7.7 billion per year in government expenditure on enforcement Explain why or how this example supports the first reason Trying to prevent marijuana use by charging people is just a dead end road. It has been tried for years and it is not working. Second Reason Specific Example Explain why or how this example supports the second reason Make money Miron predicts that legalizing marijuana would generate $2.4 billion annually if taxed like most consumer goods, or $6 billion per year if taxed similarly to alcohol and tobacco It sounds like this would be the answer to our fiscal prayers. Think of how we could improve medicine or education if we used the tax income from pot to fund these projects. Conclusion (restate your opinion) Legalizing pot would both save money and make money. Restate your thesis using different words than last time Summarize what was proven in each of your two body paragraphs End with something that relates to your hook from the intro paragraph (if you used one in the intro) Conclusion Obviously, legalizing and regulating pot is a terrific idea for Canada! The health benefits far outweigh the health risks It makes financial sense for Canada If only we could join the spirit of Thomas Jefferson on our back decks and patios or pool docks enjoy our peace and quiet. What are people so excited about, anyway? I think people should stop trying to mind everyone else s business. I will vote for anything that gets that those school skipping teenagers protesting about something that really matters, like the environment.
Sample Student ENG4CI-01 Ms Klosch March 5, 2014 Going Green I don t know about you, but I am getting pretty sick of driving downtown on April 20 th every year and seeing a ragtag group of teenagers defiantly smoking up as they protest for their legal right to waste time and miss my class! Marijuana legalization has been under debate for many years at least as long as I can remember, and I am 45. I believe that we should just end the fuss and legalize it. First of all, before people get all up in arms about how bad pot is for you, they should get themselves educated about the facts. For example, according to Dr. Wesely Boyd who writes for the journal Psychology Today, most users are not addicted nor are they even close to being addicted. They use it for socializing and recreation, the same way people drink alcohol and play poker, both of which are now legal. This shows how most users just treat it like a weekend part-time affair. They like to spend quality time with Mary Jane, but only when it is convenient or doesn t get in the way of life. In addition, it is medically beneficial. According to the website WebMD, marijuana is used medically to treat pain caused by cancer, migraines or other long term conditions like glaucoma. Also, multiple sclerosis, weight loss from HIV, seizure disorders, and Crohn s disease are all treated successfully with pot. As an added bonus, pot doesn t give the same the complicated side effects that other drug treatments can cause. When the pain of one of these conditions is knocking at your door, screaming to be let in, it makes sense that you would do anything to avoid it. In conclusion, pot should be legalized because people are misinformed about its risks and are unaware of its benefits. Really, legalizing pot could be turned into something financially positive for Canada. For one thing. it would certainly save us money. Jeffrey Miron, a Harvard University economist figures that in the United States, legalzing pot would save save $7.7 billion per year in government expenditure on enforcing the laws about possession and trafficking that slow down our justice system and bog down our police resources here in
Canada too. Trying to prevent marijuana use by charging people is just a dead end road. It has been tried for years and it is not working. In addition, legalizing and regulating pot it would make us money. Miron predicts that legalizing marijuana would generate $2.4 billion annually in the US if it was taxed like most goods (that s 13% in Canada), or $6 billion per year if taxed similarly to alcohol and tobacco. It sounds like this would be the answer to our fiscal prayers. Think of how we could improve Canada s medical or educational system if we used the tax income from pot to fund these projects. Legalizing pot would both save money and make money. Obviously, legalizing and regulating pot is a terrific idea for Canada! The health benefits far outweigh the health risks and it makes financial sense. Besides, I will vote for anything that gets those school skipping teenagers protesting about something that really matters, like the environment.