Legalization of Marijuana in all 50 States of USA

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Rhetorical analysis: Legalization of marijuana
Introduction
The article “Marijuana should be legal in all 50 states” was written by Tim Ryan; a Democrat, and a US Representative for Ohio's 13th congressional district. Ryan reveals that not only has marijuana increased the rate of arrests in the United States, but has also encouraged racial discrimination within the society. This is appalling considering that some states like Colorado enjoy huge economic benefits from the legalization of marijuana. As a result, Ryan encourages total legalization of marijuana, which will boost the entire economy, reduce cancer incidences, and reduce the rate of police arrests.
Purpose/Audience
Ryan uses the article to address three serious issues related to marijuana and how they affect the American society. Firstly, police arrests have increased significantly increasing the resources needed to maintain prisons. $7.7 billion is used yearly as enforcement costs yet that money can be used to construct roads or even improve the health sector (Ryan, 2018). Secondly, police use marijuana as means of racially discriminating people of color. For instance, Ryan indicates that although marijuana is equally used among the blacks and whites, blacks are more likely to be arrested and imprisoned. A daunting revelation about Ryan article is that black suspects receive long sentences even in cases of minor marijuana offences. This cuts them from their families, employment, and education, which limit their possibility of attaining a fruitful life.
Thirdly, Ryan compares the economic benefit of marijuana as a legal product to that of illegal product. It is clear that states that have legalized marijuana have an economic advantage over the others. This disadvantage is witnessed in cases where a business person purchases marijuana product in one state (i.e Colorado) but is arrested in another state (i.e Ohio). This complication deprives the entire economy of $6 billion, which can be collected as taxes from a legal marijuana industry.
The article was written 1 year later after New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, had introduced a bill that sought to remove marijuana from the controlled substance Act. Therefore, Ryan’s article addresses members of congress who he blames for continuously using the war on drugs to fail Americans. The article also targets Americans since legalization of marijuana in states requires citizen participation through the ballot box. Since congress is tasked with formulating laws that govern us, members of congress the opportunity to legalize marijuana by passing the Marijuana Justice Act.
Persuasion strategies
In the article, ...