Pot Problems Put Simply

The marijuana legalization efforts have been alive for decades, but only in recent years has the idea of medicinal marijuana actually seemed possible. Many people are aware of the situation that is occurring, but others are in the dark about what may be occurring nationwide in the near future.

In his Rolling Stone article titled ‘What Will Rescheduling Marijuana Mean for the Pot Industry?’ author Alex Halperin gives everyone a good overview of the subject in laymen's terms. He stays away from a one-sided, opinionated rant about pot and instead provides context on what worries the voters and the government--not his opinion.

The focus of the article, is mostly on the Drug Enforcement Agency’s decision to see if marijuana should be rescheduled as a different class drug. Instead of being classified as a easily abused, and very addictive drug, it may be changed to have potential medical benefits and allows research to be performed by labs.

Halperin doesn’t tell readers whether he smokes or not, he doesn’t say whether he would legalize it or not, instead he provides valid and trustworthy sources to give facts about the situation. One source, is a cannabis lawyer who represents a Washington firm, and admits that she isn’t optimistic about the DEA’s pending decision. But he doesn’t stop there, he also allows the other side a chance to speak by quoting a California based therapy company who has a brighter outlook on the issue.

Often when I read articles like this, I get lost in legal jargon and can’t really make out what the issue really is but Halperin doesn’t allow that to happen. He uses clear phrases and simplistic writing to accomplish the goal of educating readers. On top of that, he explains the differences between schedule II drugs and schedule I drugs which will aid readers in the long run.

Overall I felt that Halperin did an excellent job of providing information for readers to draw conclusions with, and used valid sources. He didn’t ignore any angles of the issue, and allowed quotes from people who feel differently on the issue. The only thing that would have really strengthened this article would have been a government quote about the DEA and what they will need to do to reach a decision.

The full article can be read here: Rescheduling Pot