Research Paper Introduction

Having been designated as the one to write the introduction to our group's paper, I've produced the following paragraphs. I wasn't sure what the exact tone should be for this, and since the tone of the first essay was a bit less formal than my own, I was unsure of how formal to make the tone of this portion. Usually my process for writing these sorts of things is to make sure that I hit all the necessary points as clearly and concisely as possible, then add in whatever passages or phrasings that may serve the context better. Also, since the first essay includes an introduction of its own, I didn't want to end too definitely so as to make the shift from "formal introduction" to "essay introduction" too jarring or aimless.

In the course of the last several decades, a brewing debate over the legalization of marijuana (also known as cannabis) in America has heated to a boil. At the time of writing, twenty-five states in the Union have granted some degree of legality towards the drug’s use, bypassing its prohibition on a federal level. In this paper we will analyze the potential political, economic, health, social, and moral effects of federal marijuana legalization, addressing some of the more salient talking points that have surfaced in various mainstream debates and scholarly articles.

One of the major considerations taken in these essays is the difference between medical and recreational consumption. Authors Olivia Reagan, Devin Ward, and Korynne Haymond assert that the political, economic, and health effects of cannabis use merit its legalization for medical use only, and that recreational use should remain under prohibition. Concerning the social and moral implications of public marijuana consumption, author Joachim Austin argues that there is no appreciable detriment to federal legalization of both medical and recreational use.