Reasons for Legalizing Marijuana essays

Reasons for Legalizing Marijuana essays One question that has troubled Americans for a long time is: "Should the use of marijuana be legalized?" Some say yes, while others say, no. According to the Merriam-Webster's dictionary, marijuana is defined as "the dried leaves and flowering tops of the pistillate hemp plant that yield THC and are smoked in cigarettes for their intoxicating effect" (Merriam Webster 1). Owning marijuana has been a crime since 1937 when Congress passed the Marijuana Tax Act. However, the drug was still frequently used. Here we are years later, still without an agreeable answer to the question. Legalizing the use of marijuana would have many medical benefits, economical benefits, and would decrease the incidence of crime. There are others who disagree. These people feel that legalization would lead to the formation of other habits and to health problems, such as, the use of a harsher drug and to psychological and personality problems that can come from using marijuana. These individuals feel that the negatives of marijuana use far outweigh the positives, and feel that the use of marijuana should remain illegal. To some people, marijuana is considered a "gateway" drug. Legalizing marijuana would lead to the use of other, much more harsh drugs. From the book Drugs, Teens, and Recovery, Lauren, a teenager that got mixed up in drugs describes how she got involved with marijuana, then with cocaine. She says, "I was ten, in the fifth grade, the first time I smoked pot. I liked pot a lot better than drinking because it was easier. I loved it. Pot and alcohol, that's all I needed. I didn't want to get into anything else". She continues, "About this time, I started getting obsessed with cocaine and thinking about what the high would be like". Just like Lauren people can start off with just smoking marijuana but they would get the urge to try something a little bit stronger (Cheney, 46). Marijuana usage has many medical benefits. It becam...

Tips for breaking through the barrier - Emphasis

Tips for breaking through the barrier Tips for breaking through the barrier You probably have something in common with everyone else whos ever had writers block: you eventually got going. The problem is, that may well have been because your report was due first thing the next morning and the alternative was the Job Centre. But imagine if something other than blind necessity could break through that wall of fear. If only there was something you could do to stop yourself spending the entire night before the deadline writing in a cold sweat and submitting something substandard. There is, says Emphasis CEO Rob Ashton. The key is to make the act of writing seem less threatening. In the writing process there comes a tipping point where the pain of not doing it outweighs the perceived pain of doing it, says Rob. The key to overcoming writers block is to bring forward that point to now, rather than midnight before its due in. Try these strategies to help you break through the barrier and youll be finished before you know it. Trick yourself Its actually possible for one part of your brain to fool another that it isnt afraid, according to Mark Forster, author of Do It Tomorrow and Other Secrets of Time Management. Forster suggests using the technique of telling yourself, Im not really going to write the [piece in question] now, Ill just and fill in the blank with an easy beginning task. For example: Ill just launch Microsoft Word, or Ill just get the research folder out. This simple act can be a breakthrough. Once youve taken that first action, you will have got over the initial step, says Forster. You may well find that you are hardly even aware that you are moving on to take some additional action. Map it out Facing down a whole unwritten document may be sending chills down your back, but the process of getting on with it can easily be broken down into non-threatening actions. One of these drawing a mind map is also a useful tool to make sure youve covered every who, what, when, where and how. Know your reader The best writing knows its audience, and realising how much you do know about your reader is a great motivational tool as well as helping you to write a document that will do its job. Filling in a reader profile questionnaire is another safe as well as highly effective place to start. Work in bursts When breaking through the block, youll feel less overwhelmed if you know youre going to stop at a certain point. Set a timer with an alarm for a short period of solid work, followed by a few minutes break, then a slightly longer stretch of work and so on. The more stressed you feel about the task, the shorter each burst of work should be. Gradually increase the work time between breaks until you reach your optimal length of time generally this will be no more than about 40 minutes. Stopping at the alarm even in mid-sentence may actually give you the urge to return to your writing. The mind craves completion and will want to get back to the task, says Forster. This helps you to build up a strong momentum. Listen to the Audio Tips interview with Rob Ashton here. And find out whats going on in our heads when writers block strikes here.