The harmful effects of marijuana / George Biernson --
Myths about the harmful effects of marijuana / Paul Hager --
Marijuana's addictive effects / Ingrid Wickelgren --
Marijuana is not a gateway drug / John P. Morgan and Lynn Zimmer --
Marijuana use impairs driving / Judy Monroe --
The truth behind propaganda about marijuana's adverse effects / Jacob Sullum --
The debate over the legalization of marijuana : an overview / Paul Van Slambrouck --
Marijuana laws should be reformed / Ira Glasser --
Marijuana should not be legalized / D.S. Perez --
Responsible marijuana use should be legal / R. Keith Stroup --
Legalizing marijuana would be irresponsible / Lee P. Brown --
The movement to legalize industrial hemp / Mari Kane --
The hemp movement : a disguise for legalizing marijuana / Jeanette McDougal --
The European attitude toward marijuana / Peter Ford --
The medical marijuana debate : an overview / Elisabeth Frater --
Examining the scientific research on medical marijuana / The Institute of Medicine --
The potential medical benefits of marijuana / Economist --
Medical marijuana should not be legalized / Bob Barr --
The federal government should not interfere with state medical marijuana laws / Gary Newkirk --
State medical marijuana laws threaten the public health / James R. McDonough --
Marijuana addiction : one family's nightmare / Ronald G. Shafer --
I broke the law to save my son / Cheryl Johnson, as told to Steve Rubenstein --
An activist for medical marijuana / Linda Peterson --
Marijuana entrepreneurs / Jake MacDonald --
Fighting America's war on marijuana / Steve White, interviewed by Elena Mannes.
Introduction: background to controversy: marijuana and medicine
Section one: opposing viewpoints on marijuana
Viewpoint 1: Marijuana is a dangerous drug / Joseph V. Amodio
Viewpoint 2: The dangers of marijuana are exaggerated / Maia Szalavitz
Viewpoint 3: Marijuana should be legal / Steve Maich
Viewpoint 4: Marijuana should be illegal / John P. Walters
Viewpoint 5: Marijuana has medicinal value / National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws
Viewpoint 6: Marijuana is not medicine / Andrea Barthwell
Section two: Model essays and writing exercises
Preface A: The five-paragraph essay
Preface B: The expository essay
Model essay 1: The effects of marijuana
Exercise 1: Create an outline from an existing essay
Model essay two: Marijuana should be legal
Exercise 2a: Create an outline from an existing essay
Exercise 2b: Create an outline for an opposing expository essay
Model essay three: The medical-marijuana debate
Exercise 3a: Examining introductions and conclusions
Exercise 3b: Using quotations to enliven your essay
Final writing challenge: Write your own expository five-paragraph essay
Section three: Supporting research material
Appendix A: Facts about marijuana
Appendix B: Finding and using sources of information
Appendix C: Using MLA style to create a works cited list
Appendix D: Sample essay topics
Organizations to contact for further reading.