Marijuana Rhetoric: An Analysis of the Rhetoric of the White House ONDCP Website.

<Tab/>The intensity of the drug debate is reflected in President George Bush's recent promise to lead a more aggressive campaign against substance abuse, ordering that resources be allocated to fighting so-called 'soft' drugs instead of concentrating on harder forms, such as marijuana and cocaine. At the center of the debate over marijuana is the issue of its legality, the main differences concerning its hazards, both to the health of an …

…States. Its website purports to disseminate facts, but analysis of the marijuana fact sheets and media link reveals that the argument of the ONDCP is superficial and flawed, relying on emotional or fallacious logical appeals. It would be equally fallacious of this paper to conclude that the ONDCP is the reason for marijuana illegal status, however it does highlight that clarity and understanding of the marijuana debate recognize the impact of language on the arguments.