Once you have formulated your question, conduct research from non-scholarly sources on the internet (e.g., news articles, op-eds, etc.) that present substantive reasoning on each side of the issue.Your task is to present and evaluate the reasoning from a non-scholarly source on each side of your issue. There is no need to take sides on the issue at this stage. In your analysis, strive to be as objective as possible, evaluating the reasoning from a neutral point of view. For an example of how to complete this paper, take a look at the Week One Examplepaper.Your paper should include clearly labeled sections addressing the following elements:Introduction (approximately 100 words)Explain your topic.State the specific question that you are addressing.Presentation of an Argument Describe the non-scholarly source (e.g., an op-ed, newspaper article, website, etc.) on one side of the issue and summarize the key points made (approximately 50 words).Present what you see as the main argument from that source. Make sure to present your argument in standard form, with the premises listed above the conclusion. (approximately 100 words)Evaluate the quality of the reasoning in this source (approximately 200 words)In completing your evaluation, consider assessing how well the research supports the premises of the main argument and how strongly the reasoning supports the conclusion of that argument.Presentation of an Argument on the Other Side of the IssueDescribe the non-scholarly source on the opposite side of the issue and summarize the key points made. (approximately 50 words)Present what you see as the main argument from that source. Make sure to present your argument in standard form, with the premises listed above the conclusion. (approximately 100 words)Evaluate the quality of the reasoning in this source (approximately 200 words)In completing your evaluation, consider assessing how well the research supports the premises of the main argument and how strongly the reasoning supports the conclusion.The Presenting Arguments paperMust be 400 to 1,000 words in length (not including title and references pages), double-spaced, and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the APA Style (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.Must include a separate title page with the following:Title of paperStudent’s nameCourse name and numberInstructor’s nameDate submittedFor assistance with formatting of the title page, refer to APA Formatting for Word 2013 (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..Must use at least two sources in addition to the course text. The Help! Need Article (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.tutorial can also assist with searching for articles.The Scholarly, Peer Reviewed, and Other Credible Sources (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. table offers additional guidance on appropriate source types. If you have questions about whether a specific source is appropriate for this assignment, please contact your instructor. Your instructor has the final say about the appropriateness of a specific source for a particular assignment.The Integrating Research (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. tutorial will offer further assistance with including supporting information and reasoning.Must document all sources in APA style, as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center’s Citing Within Your Paper (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.Must include a separate references page that is formatted according to APA style. See the Formatting Your References List (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. resource in the Ashford Writing Center for specifications.
week_1___assignment.pdf
phi03.w1a.modeledexamplemarijuana.docx
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Week 1 – Assignment
Presen!ng Arguments
Prior to beginning work on this assignment, read the assigned chapters in your textbook and watch the
videos Identifying Premises and Conclusions (https://youtu.be/07mehbgE5jc?
list=PLB8A5292FC68E2D77) , What Is an Argument? (https://youtu.be/Nq8-w2BAJkU?
list=PLB8A5292FC68E2D77) , What Is a Good Argument? (Part I) (https://youtu.be/AlRYrBFoQqA?
list=PLB8A5292FC68E2D77) , and What Is a Good Argument?: The Logic Condition
(https://youtu.be/bA8GuloqV60?list=PLB8A5292FC68E2D77) .
In this class, we learn to evaluate issues in light of the reasoning on all sides prior to arriving at
conclusions. We aim to evaluate the quality and quantity of evidence, striving to be as objective as we
can about what is most likely to be true.
If you have not done so already, begin by choosing a topic from the Final Paper Options
list to use
in your writing assignments in this course. The next step is to formulate a specific research question that
is important regarding this topic. You may review The Research Process
(https://content.bridgepointeducation.com/curriculum/file/412c3873-1146-495c-93680a3ffcf4516f/1/The%20Research%20Process.zip/story_html5.html) resource for more information. So, if your
topic is gun control, you would formulate a specific question, such as, “Are universal background checks
effective at reducing violent crime in America?”
Once you have formulated your question, conduct research from non-scholarly sources on the internet
(e.g., news articles, op-eds, etc.) that present substantive reasoning on each side of the issue.
Your task is to present and evaluate the reasoning from a non-scholarly source on each side of your
issue. There is no need to take sides on the issue at this stage. In your analysis, strive to be as
objective as possible, evaluating the reasoning from a neutral point of view. For an example of how to
complete this paper, take a look at the Week One Example
paper.
Your paper should include clearly labeled sections addressing the following elements:
Introduction (approximately 100 words)
Explain your topic.
State the specific question that you are addressing.
Presentation of an Argument
Describe the non-scholarly source (e.g., an op-ed, newspaper article, website, etc.) on one side
of the issue and summarize the key points made (approximately 50 words).
Present what you see as the main argument from that source. Make sure to present your
argument in standard form, with the premises listed above the conclusion. (approximately 100
words)
Evaluate the quality of the reasoning in this source (approximately 200 words)
In completing your evaluation, consider assessing how well the research supports the
premises of the main argument and how strongly the reasoning supports the conclusion of
that argument.
Presentation of an Argument on the Other Side of the Issue
Describe the non-scholarly source on the opposite side of the issue and summarize the key
points made. (approximately 50 words)
Present what you see as the main argument from that source. Make sure to present your
argument in standard form, with the premises listed above the conclusion. (approximately 100
words)
Evaluate the quality of the reasoning in this source (approximately 200 words)
In completing your evaluation, consider assessing how well the research supports the
premises of the main argument and how strongly the reasoning supports the conclusion.
Wri!ng specialists are here 24/7, every day
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For additional writing resources like Grammarly
(https://content.bridgepointeducation.com/curriculum/file/44cfa9c0-94984229-a25d-ea3589506182/1/Grammarly_Setup_Instructions_AU.pdf) , click
on the Writing Center tab in the left navigation pane.
The Presenting Arguments paper
Must be 400 to 1,000 words in length (not including title and references pages), double-spaced, and
formatted according to APA style as outlined in the APA Style (http://writingcenter.ashford.edu/apastyle)
Must include a separate title page with the following:
Title of paper
Student’s name
Course name and number
Instructor’s name
Date submitted
For assistance with formatting of the title page, refer to APA Formatting for Word 2013
(http://writingcenter.ashford.edu/apa-formatting-word-2013) .
Must use at least two sources in addition to the course text. The Help! Need Article
(https://content.bridgepointeducation.com/curriculum/file/45144a02-c983-4f93-ab66980b593257d3/1/Help%20Need%20Article.zip/story_html5.html) tutorial can also assist with searching for
articles.
The Scholarly, Peer Reviewed, and Other Credible Sources
(https://content.bridgepointeducation.com/curriculum/file/b2d6fb25-629e-42e1-a13e-
43bf67043c8a/1/Scholarly%2C%20Peer%20Reviewed%2C%20and%20Other%20Credible%20Sources.docx)
table offers additional guidance on appropriate source types. If you have questions about
whether a specific source is appropriate for this assignment, please contact your instructor. Your
instructor has the final say about the appropriateness of a specific source for a particular
assignment.
The Integrating Research (https://content.bridgepointeducation.com/curriculum/file/5408ee9be793-44d5-8a4d-e54bc6e72f74/1/Integrating%20Research.zip/story.html) tutorial will offer further
assistance with including supporting information and reasoning.
Must document all sources in APA style, as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center’s Citing Within
Your Paper (http://bpiwritingcenter.prod.acquia-sites.com/citing-within-your-paper)
Must include a separate references page that is formatted according to APA style. See the
Formatting Your References List (http://writingcenter.ashford.edu/format-your-reference-list)
resource in the Ashford Writing Center for specifications.
Carefully review the Grading Rubric (http://ashford.waypointoutcomes.com/assessment/21521/preview)
for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.
Waypoint Assignment
Submission
The assignments in this course will be submitted to Waypoint. Please refer to the instructions below to
submit your assignment.
1. Click on the Assignment Submission button below. The Waypoint “Student Dashboard” will open
in a new browser window.
2. Browse for your assignment.
3. Click Upload.
4. Confirm that your assignment was successfully submitted by viewing the appropriate week’s
assignment tab in Waypoint.
For more detailed instructions, refer to the Waypoint Tutorial
(https://content.bridgepointeducation.com/curriculum/file/dc358708-3d2b-41a6-a000ff53b3cc3794/1/Waypoint%20Tutorial.pdf)
(https://content.bridgepointeducation.com/curriculum/file/dc358708-3d2b-41a6-a000ff53b3cc3794/1/Waypoint%20Tutorial.pdf) .
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Running head: IS MARIJUANA SAFE?
Is Marijuana Safe?
Dr. Christopher Foster
PHI103 Informal Logic
Ashford University
Modeled example for week 1 assignment
1
IS MARIJUANA SAFE?
2
In recent years, many states have voted to legalize marijuana, both for medical and
recreational uses (Sanders, 2018). However, federal law still prohibits the use or sale of
marijuana in the United States, allegedly because of negative health effects (Ripley, 2017). With
the recent decision by the Justice department to crack down on marijuana distribution (Johnson,
2018), an important question is whether those federal laws have sound medical science on their
side. This paper will begin to explore the specific question of whether marijuana use is harmful
to health. It will explore articles that argue on each side in an effort to evaluate the quality of the
reasoning of each.
Article Against the Use of Marijuana
The first article to appear when searching ‘Marijuana is Harmful” is a web site from an
anti-drug non-profit organization called the Foundation for a Drug Free World. The article
argues that marijuana is harmful based on several studies showing multiple sources of danger to
the user and to society. The reasoning given contains these key premises:
Premise 1: Studies show that Marijuana use diminishes attention, memory, and learning.
Premise 2: Studies show that Marijuana use increases the likelihood of traffic accidents,
including fatalities.
Conclusion: Marijuana use is bad for the health of the user and for society (Foundation
for a Drug Free World, n.d.).
IS MARIJUANA SAFE?
3
Evaluation of the Quality of the Argument Against the Use of Marijuana
The argument given appears to make strong points in favor of the conclusion. The first
premise seems to demonstrate that marijuana use is bad for the user, and the second seems to
show that it is bad for society, thereby supporting the truth of both parts of the conclusion.
For these premises to adequately support the conclusion, however, we need to assume
that there is nothing to outweigh these two negative factors. For example, suppose that someone
is using marijuana to combat the effects of chemotherapy or to prevent glaucoma. In such cases,
the negatives of reduced attention, memory, and learning could be outweighed by the medical
benefits. Furthermore, such a person might be sure not to drive after using it. In cases like those,
the premises of this argument could be true and the conclusion false. Therefore, even if the
premises are true, the argument does not adequately support the conclusion that marijuana use is
always bad, only that it has some bad effects.
A second concern about the argument is the lack of support given for the premises. If
studies demonstrate these results, it would be easy to provide references to them. This website,
however, gives no citations or references to the studies in question. It only instructs those
seeking the references to contact the Foundation for a Drug-Free World for that information
(Foundation, n.d.). It is strange that a web site would make it so difficult to check its sources.
The lack of clear support for the premises substantially weakens the argument presented here.
Article Supporting the Safety of Marijuana Use
An organization calling itself Americans for Safe Access advocates for legal marijuana
use. It hosts a web site summarizing a substantial amount of research addressing the safety
IS MARIJUANA SAFE?
4
concerns about the use of marijuana. It makes a sustained case that marijuana may be used safely
and healthfully.
Premise 1: A report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration states that there has never been a death recorded from the use of cannabis
(Americans for Safe Access, 2018).
Premise 2: Scientific research has shown that marijuana use is safer than many foods and
legal medications (2018).
Premise 3: Research has shown no negative effects on lung function for those who smoke
marijuana moderately (2018).
Premise 4: Marijuana has been shown to be far less addictive and less prone to abuse than
many legal drugs (2018).
Premise 5: Negative side effects of smoking marijuana are relatively minor and can be
mitigated with common sense precautions (2018).
Conclusion: Marijuana use is relatively safe compared to other medications.
Evaluation of the Quality of the Argument in the Pro-Marijuana Source
The argument makes very strong points on many topics, attempting to address nearly all
of the main concerns about marijuana. However, the studies cited do not show that there are no
long term negative effects from cannabis use. For example, the article includes a reference to a
study stating that “there might be decrements in the ability to learn and remember new
information in chronic users” (Grant, Gonzales, Carey, Natarajan, & Wolfson, 2003).
IS MARIJUANA SAFE?
5
The conclusion of the argument, therefore, needs to be understood in the context of such
statements (which are de-emphasized on the website). The conclusion should not be understood
to mean that marijuana is harmless, only that it is perhaps less harmful that commonly thought or
than many legal drugs.
There are many studies referenced in support of the premises. However, the references
are not given on the page. A link on the page states that the resources are available to members
only (and one is invited to sign up). Enough information is given in text that it is easy to find the
studies used, and all appear to be of high quality. However, the page would benefit from making
that information easier to access on the page itself.
Overall, the arguments on this page appear to be quite strong overall in support of the
conclusion given, as long as that conclusion is understood in the limited sense indicated above.
IS MARIJUANA SAFE?
6
References:
Americans for Safe Access. (2018). Cannabis safety. Retrieved from
http://www.safeaccessnow.org/cannabis_safety
Foundation for a Drug-Free World (n.d.). The truth about marijuana: Behind the smoke screen.
Retrieved from http://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/marijuana/behind-the-smokescreen.html
Grant, I., Gonzales, R., Carey C. L., Natarajan, L., & Wolfson, T. (2003). Non-acute (residual)
neurocognitive effects of cannabis use: A meta-analytic study. Journal of Internal
Neuropsychological Society, 9(5), 679-689. https://doi.org/10.1017/51355617703950016
Johnson, K., & Hughes, T. (2018, January 4). Justice department cracks down on legal marijuana
with rollback of Obama policy. Retrieved from
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/01/04/justice-department-crackdown-legal-marijuana-roll-back-obama-policy/1003183001/
Ripley, E. (2017, December 20). Why is marijuana illegal? A look at the history of MJ in
America. Retrieved from https://news.medicalmarijuanainc.com/the-road-to-prohibitionwhy-did-america-make-marijuana-illegal-in-the-first-place/
Sanders, L. (2018, January 2). Marijuana legalization 2018: Which states might consider
cannabis laws this year? Retrieved from http://www.newsweek.com/marijuanalegalization-2018-which-states-will-consider-cannabis-laws-year-755282
…
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