‘Governments should legalize the recreational use of small amounts of marijuana rather than criminalize or decriminalize it.’”

Topic and Matrix for 5th Short Group Writing Assignment, MODR 1730

Topic: 5th Short Group Writing Assignment, due any time during Weeks 12-13 but no later than the end of the Week 13, i.e., Friday, August 5, 11:59:59, and worth 20% of final grade: “In one paragraph (half an 8.5 x 11” page, single-spaced text, 12-point font, no word count), give a reasoned response to the following claim: ‘Governments should legalize the recreational use of small amounts of marijuana rather than criminalize or decriminalize it.’”

Matrix: Here is a matrix for this assignment. If you can construct a better matrix, use that one:

1. Sentence 1: define what criminalization by governments of the recreational use of small amounts of marijuana is.

2. Sentence 2: define what decriminalization by governments of the recreational use of small amounts of marijuana is.

3. Sentence 3: define what legalization by governments of the recreation use of small amounts of marijuana is.

4. Sentences 4-6: given your definitions of the three options governments have in terms of what they can do about the recreational use of small amounts of marijuana (sentences 1-3), present a reasoned response (argument) to the claim that governments should legalize the recreational use of small amounts of marijuana as opposed to criminalizing or decriminalizing it.

5. Sentence 7: summarize your paragraph in one sentence and exit gracefully from the paragraph.