Reefer Madness Essay Example

that smoking cannabis can relieve the nausea associated with chemotherapy, prevent blindness induced by glaucoma, serve as an appetite stimulant for aids patients, act as an anti-epileptic, ward off asthma muscle plasticity that accompanies multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, and paraplegia(27).

By using Grinspoon’s findings to prove his point of view, Schlosser is able to gain the trustworthiness of his audience because now that his audience know the medical function of marijuana use, they know the difference between an psychoactive drug and marijuana. Schlosser successfully convinces his audience attention by presenting them the studies of a Harvard Medical School Professor and the benefits of marijuana use which can be used as medicine and benefits people’s health although it might be misused by some, the danger of marijuana is far less than many other drugs.

Schlosser uses pathos to persuade his readers that marijuana laws should be decriminalized. He uses many emotional cases to open up the audiences emotions into modifying the laws for marijuana due to the extraneous punishments. For example in this case Schlosser states; Jim Montgomery, a paraplegic immobilized from the waist down who smoked marijuana to relieve muscle spasms, was arrested in Sayre, Oklahoma, when sheriffs found two ounces of pot in the pouch on the back of his wheelchair.

Montgomery was tried and convicted by a jury for possession of marijuana with intent to distribute for possession of paraphernalia, for unlawful possession of a weapon during the commission of a crime ( two handguns inherited from his father, a police officer), and for maintaining a place resorted to by users of controlled substances. His sentence was life in prison,

plus sixteen years (28). The case of Jim Montgomery is a great example of a terrible marijuana law that needs to be modified.

Jim, even though, was caught with double the limit for just possession should not have been charged with “intent to distribute” because what Jim had on him at the time was a very small amount. Jim could have been caught with two ounces, one pound or ten pounds and would still have been charged with “intent to distribute“(28). The marijuana law needs to be modified so that people caught with more than one ounce will not be charged the same as people caught with pounds of marijuana.

Jim is a very good example that Schlosser uses pathos to persuade his audience emotions because Jim was sentenced to “life in prison, plus sixteen years,” for being in possession of two ounces and two firearms, one whom was given to him by his father, a former police officer (28). Schlosser persuades his audience with the use of reasoning. Schlosser starts off his first chapter about the laws in the state of Indiana, a erson convicted of rape, or murder can expect to spend twenty-five years in prison , but in Mark Young’s case who was caught selling seven-hundred pounds of marijuana with no criminal history, he was sentenced to life imprisonment without possibility of parole (13). Schlosser uses Mark Young’s case in his argument because its unreasonable to be sentenced to life without the possibility of parole when someone who convicted murderer only expect to be sentenced to twenty-five years from judges in Indiana who tend to give longer sentences.

Young’s

role in the illegal transaction had been that of a middleman---he never distributed the drugs; he simply introduced two people hoping to sell a large amount of marijuana to three people wishing to buy the offense occurred a year and a half before his arrest. No confiscated marijuana, money, or physical evidence of any kind linked Young to the crime. He was convicted solely on the testimony of co-conspirators who were now cooperating with the government(13). Young’s case given the facts shows that all he did was introduced a few people to each other and was convicted with no evidence but a testimony.

A murderer or rapist would not have been convicted on a testimony alone. A murderer or a rapist would have needed much more evidence such as murderer weapon and evidence linking the person to the crime. Schlosser successfully persuades his readers with his use of logic. Schlosser successfully persuades his audience throughout chapter one of Reefer Madness. He used credible sources in his ethos to gain trust in his audience which is important when your goal is to persuade people to your point of view.

He then uses pathos to grab the readers emotions to feel sympathy for the cases he uses this compels the readers to think outside of the box and put themselves in someone else’s position. Schlosser also uses logos in his argument to explain the reasoning’s of the unreasonable and extraneous punishments of marijuana laws towards people. Schlosser uses a combination of ethos, pathos and logos throughout chapter one to successfully persuade his audience towards his point of view of decriminalizing marijuana.