Legalization of Marijuana

Title: Legalization of Marijuana

Specific Purpose: To persuade skeptics that the national deficit is a problem and the solution is the legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes, it will help reduce the national deficit and reduce the prison population.

Central Idea: To convince people that the legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes is good for our struggling economy.

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Intro:

14 TRILLION DOLLARS! 14 TRILLION DOLLARS!! 14 TRILLION DOLLARS!! Since 2007 the national debt has risen 5 trillion dollars. The United States of America needs to make haste and legalize marijuana for recreational purposes in order to save our national deficit. Now I am not economist but I did do my research on this topic. Today I want to talk to you about how the national deficit is not only a problem, but a radical solution to solving it and your civic duty as patriotic citizens.

(Connective): Before I tell you a solution and your civic duty, let me first tell you what the problem is.

Body:

I. The National Deficit continues to rise despite Tax cuts and Breaks. (Problem)

A. The sheer magnitude of the U.S. national debt ($14.1T), coupled with alarmist comments by the U.S. Congress and the American press lead most Americans to conclude that our country is in a very precarious position and is perhaps on the verge of bankruptcy.

B. Over the past 10 years especially, government spending has well exceeded tax revenue almost tripling during that period.

C. A combination of two wars, two recessions, and two political parties that have not yet made deficit fighting an urgent priority accounts for this surge in debt over the past 10 years.

D. Republicans want to cut Medicaid, Medicare and Welfare Programs affecting the middle class and the poor.

E. Give tax breaks to the wealthy.

F. Democrats want to tax the top 5% of Americans anyone making $200,000.00 or more a year.

G. They are adamant against cutting Medicare, Medicaid and Welfare.

II. During President Franklin Delano Roosevelt first term the Prohibition of Marijuana Act was enacted in 1937.

A. Made it illegal to possess and sell marijuana.

B. Fined up to 2,000.00 and five years of imprisonment.

C. It costs approximately $60,000.00 to incarcerate a person for a year.

1. The same as it costs to send a person to college for four years.

D. It costs $10,400.00 per arrest for marijuana.

E. Arrests and incarceration fail to deter the use of marijuana.

F. It often leads to anger and resentment.

G. Creates better criminals and leads to more violent crimes.

1. It leads to individuals to committing armed robbery against others.

2. It leads to individuals to committing Homicide.

3. It also leads individuals to committing Rape.

I. Since 1990, 5.9 million people have been arrested for marijuana.

J. That is more than the combined populations of Alaska, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Montana, North and South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming.

4. In 2000, 734,498 people were arrested for marijuana, 800% increase since 1980.

(Connective): Now