Attack on Legal Marijuana Not Sobering One of the most debated topics of discussion in American media is the legalization of marijuana for recreational use. William J. Bennett and Robert A. White, a former director of the National Drug Control Policy and attorney, respectively, weighed in on the debate with their essay “Legal Pot Is a Public Menace.” They argue that legalizing pot will have adverse effects on America’s youth and the general population at large, and specifically users’ cognitive function and well-being. Although Bennett’s expert authority in this subject of interest gives the article credibility, his argument ultimately fails because of the logic used, much of which is founded on unrepresentative and insufficient samples throughout
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Bennett discusses the deaths of two people from Colorado since the legalization of marijuana in the state. On the surface these stories sound horrifying, and with no further information it would appear as if marijuana is a killer in both cases. In one instance, Bennett cites an article by the Associated Press which states: “a man allegedly shot and killed his wife after eating marijuana candy.” But upon deeper reading into the investigation, it is known that there was only a small trace of THC found in the man’s blood, and a friend of the wife who was shot feared for the victim’s safety proceeding the shooting, relating how the couple had been fighting for days before the crime. This shows that Bennett was not educated enough about the actual investigation to make a conclusion about how significant a role the marijuana played in the shooting. Furthermore, these mere two cases are egregiously insufficient to speak on behalf of the large population of recreational users of marijuana within the state of Colorado. If this evidence were to effectively support his argument, then there would need to be more cases of death caused by using marijuana, and the cause would have to be supported by actual evidence, not Bennett’s faulty opinion produced by glancing over
Bennett discusses the deaths of two people from Colorado since the legalization of marijuana in the state. On the surface these stories sound horrifying, and with no further information it would appear as if marijuana is a killer in both cases. In one instance, Bennett cites an article by the Associated Press which states: “a man allegedly shot and killed his wife after eating marijuana candy.” But upon deeper reading into the investigation, it is known that there was only a small trace of THC found in the man’s blood, and a friend of the wife who was shot feared for the victim’s safety proceeding the shooting, relating how the couple had been fighting for days before the crime. This shows that Bennett was not educated enough about the actual investigation to make a conclusion about how significant a role the marijuana played in the shooting. Furthermore, these mere two cases are egregiously insufficient to speak on behalf of the large population of recreational users of marijuana within the state of Colorado. If this evidence were to effectively support his argument, then there would need to be more cases of death caused by using marijuana, and the cause would have to be supported by actual evidence, not Bennett’s faulty opinion produced by glancing over