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Drugs: Case for Legalizing Marijuana

Introduction

In the article Drugs: Case for Legalizing Marijuana, author Gore Vidal supports the idea that marijuana should be legalized. The author Gore Vidal presents his arguments in favor of legalizing marijuana by selling it at cost, so that anyone who wants to buy it is free to make his choice. He considers this move an effort towards curbing the ever increasing drug addiction and the consequent high crime rate in United States. The United States of America was founded on the principle of freedom. It is a state where people can freely choose their own way of life, as long as their choice of way does not conflict with someone else's freedom to make choices for himself. Hence, a man has the right to chose to die of drug addiction if he so wills.

For those who believe that easy availability of drugs in the United States will lead to an increase in the number of drug addicts, the author argues that no sane man under the right state of mind will chose to take drugs. The government's responsibility in this regard is to ensure complete knowledge of the adverse affects of the drug on the user by printing it on the packing of the drug. Knowing the consequences of his actions, if someone chooses to kill himself or take drugs then he should be allowed to do so. He also shares his own experience with drugs, and states that the fact that one encounter with any form of drug can overpower the user's ability to choose whether he wants to take it again or not is a myth, since he tried various drugs and did not take them again because he did not like any. Hence, he proved the famous Fu Manchu theory wrong.

Description of the argument put forth by the author

The author uses inductive reasoning in that he provides the reader with his personal observations such as his own experience with drugs, the adverse psychological impact of impeding easy availability of drugs, the contrast to a person's right to be free to choose absolutely anything for himself as long as he is not interfering with another person's pursuit of happiness, and these reasons which are the premises provide good enough reason for the reader to accept the conclusion drawn by the author.

The author makes use of emotional appeal by regarding the use of drugs essentially a matter of freedom of choice. He even goes to the extent of saying that if a person chooses to kill himself by drug usage it is his own free will. He tries to be convincing in that he proves the Fu Manchu theory wrong. He says it is not true that one time encounter with any form of the drug will necessary make the person an addict.

He even relates the psychological perspective of prohibiting the sale of marijuana as this will only increase curiosity and those who have not tried it will want to try it, some ...