Juan Rodriguez
English 1311
Marrufo, R.
September 28, 2010
Marijuana is the number one most commonly used illicit drug in our society. Statistics show that approximately twenty million people in America have at least tried it once, either in contact with an individual or by themselves. This drug may have its benefits in the medical field, for example, a person who is under chemotherapy and needs marijuana as a sedative. It also may relieve the body from tension, strain and stress. However, the consequences of using this narcotic as a long-term drug leads to a psychological craving of always being high. This leads to immature people wanting to feel high all the time, creating an uncontrollable desire for this drug. People then start to abuse its dexterity of relaxation and begin to use it for naïve amusement. Marijuana not only affects the lives of people like this, but others who have experienced its power also have difficulty to control its crave. Some smokers do not realize that this craving begins to evolve into an addiction, which the majority of stoners deny it as only being a phase. This addiction creates a series of unlikable side effects, a loss of motivation and an increase of laziness. Weed may not be as harmful to the body but could be crucial to a person’s life if that person begins to demand it a need. Therefore, marijuana addiction is one topic that an agency could target, and could convince our society that it is a conflict through the use of ethological, pathological and logical appeal.
The three rhetorical appeals are well defined through the author’s text and visual from the agency’s website that he or she represents. This agency mainly direct stoners that want to quit smoking pot as their primary audience---stoners that would like to follow the right path and stop their irresistible crave. Their information shows that teens starting from ages fourteen and on are hooked on this narcotic. That is why this text and visual successfully targets teens that are tired from wanting marijuana and its soothing feel. Like all other agencies in this world, they have a primary goal which is to help people that are in need of quitting marijuana.. Thus, the author explains how this drug addiction is dangerous through ethos, pathos, and logos.
The habitual use of marijuana becomes critical when one begins to need it in his or her life. A person should not yearn for feeling stoned because life isn’t always about tripping out on something or being as high as a kite. Life should be experienced naturally like being in sports, finishing an education and other important expectations. The utilization of this ethical appeal is explained well through the information that the author gives in the text, clarifying the drug’s negativity by stating that “ Productive interests such as hobbies, sports, social activities, recreation and family tend to fall off and instead activities revolve around smoking, obtaining, and getting stoned”. This shows that a person who is highly addicted to weed loses interests in activities that he or she was involved in. Instead of going to a sport practice, they tend to drift off to the crave of smoke in their lungs and feel the smoothness in their body. The author also says that marijuana addiction “ simply turns people into a shell of their former selves”, resulting into a need of “[being] high on marijuana [in order] to enjoy themselves and to feel normal.” This is obviously a conflict because people like this constantly seek out for marijuana as part of their daily lives. The addiction for this drug changes a person’s way of dealing with life… a problem that is unethical and immoral for a person’s mind and attitude. Furthermore, the credibility of the author is depicted well by this ethical appeal of how life should be treated instead of craving the addiction for temporary satisfaction.
Pathos is also shown through the author’s text by skillfully hitting the spots of the side effects and consequences of marijuana addiction. An addict is more likely to go through an emotional time when dealing with the control of a drug craving. Whether one tries to eliminate this addiction or completely stop using the drug, it is tough to fight the emotions of manipulating the want of marijuana. That is why the author uses pathos in order to comprehend with the audience of pot addicts. In the text, the author explains that individuals hooked on marijuana addiction “will lose interest in the things they once loved – and not just hobbies and activities but friends and family as well.” Here, the author creates a sense of pathological appeal because this quote shows emotion. Addicts could easily relate towards this because, more than likely, they have lost the interests on the things they loved, cherished and cared for in their lives and substituted with the fake happiness of being stoned all the time. In an instant, the audience of marijuana addicts are convinced that this agency targets people like them who are suffering the atrocities of emotional cravings. The author then gives credit to the agency, giving another ethical appeal by explaining to the audience that “marijuana addiction treatment helps restore vitality and energy to the individual who has been robbed of these qualities of life due to marijuana addiction”. This could also be an example of pathos because an addict could also emotionally relate towards this fact of addiction stealing their lives away. The author also states that once a person is well treated from this agency, one will be happier and more productive with their lives, society and community. Thus, the text fulfills its goal of helping troubled addicts through the author’s use of pathos, targeting the emotions of people that are in need of a change.
Finally, facts are crucial when it comes to pursuing on an agency’s goals. Authors need facts in order to convince an audience that his or her text is true and concise. Logical appeals is, thus, seen through this author’s text by stating information, like percentages and research studies. The text strictly enforces the dangers of marijuana addiction on the heart. The author states that “marijuana increases heart rate by 20–100 percent shortly after smoking; this effect can last up to 3 hours….it was estimated that marijuana users have a 4.8-fold increase in the risk of heart attack in the first hour after smoking the drug.” The author also quotes that “marijuana smoke contains 50–70 percent more carcinogenic hydrocarbons than does tobacco smoke.” This imposes facts, giving the audience a sudden realization that being addicted to marijuana addiction is critical to the lungs and the heart. Other studies show that long-term pot smokers have “a decrease in testosterone levels and lower sperm counts for men, increase in testosterone levels for women and increased risk of infertility and psychological dependence requiring more of the drug to get the same effect.” This sort of logical appeal that the author portrays shows the horridness of marijuana addiction, therefore, giving the audience true facts on how dangerous the craving for weed is.
The author’s text of marijuana addiction shows great effects on how logical, emotional and pathological appeal works for its audience of weed addicts that are in need to quit. However, the visual on top of the website could also be as effective and convincing as the author’s text. The upper left of the picture shows a girl with a nose stud and red hair smoking a joint. The nose stud and the red hair signifies a teen that is a rebel, street kid, druggie…could this sound stereotypical? Yes…however, details like this shows how some people see stoners or troubled teens. The upper right of the visual shows a bong with a handcuff connected together. This has a lot connotation to it; it could literally mean that marijuana addiction could get you in trouble with the law, leading your life in jail. It could also signify a life-controlling implication. The handcuffs signify how marijuana addiction could get you hooked and stuck, just like handcuffing yourself together. The addiction is defined by the bong being “stuck” with the handcuffs. A sense of pathological appeal is seen through this visual because an addict could relate to this picture. They see how marijuana addiction is like being handcuffed to a bong…always wanting to smoke and always craving for the feeling of being high…There is also a picture of a man who looks depressed and has one side of his face covered by a shade of black. There are other connotations that could signify this picture; one side of his face illuminates light while the other is dark from a shade. This shows that the man “sees the light” and wants to eliminate his addiction, however, he is still hooked from this addiction, resulting him to no success on stopping his craving. This is also an example of pathos by seeing the man’s depression, however, ethos is also depicted as well. The author explains that marijuana addiction causes depression and demoralizes the ways of life. This picture shows what the author was stating in the text, thus giving the author more credibility. Finally, the visual gives a “toll-free” contact number so that one could actually start their marijuana addiction treatment. They have the title, “Marijuana Addiction” and the phone number colored in green to emphasize the color of the drug. They also have a literal quote saying “Is marijuana creating problems in your life?”. All of this information create logical appeal, giving the audience to obviously start on their treatment. Lastly, they even throw in a sex appeal by placing a hot lady with a speaker on the bottom of the web page. Here, a person could also give out their information and begin the treatment process. Furthermore, even the visual describes the agency’s utilization of ethos, pathos and logos so that the audience could see that marijuana addiction is a conflict and could be helped.
To reiterate, marijuana addiction is no myth, not fiction or fake. It creates a crisis for many people that begin to crave for its effects of feeling high. The agency’s author and visual, thus, depicts great examples of the rhetorical appeals of ethos, pathos, and logos through its text and pictures.
References
http://www.marijuanaaddiction.ws/Effects_of_Marijuana_Addiction.htmhttp://www.marijuanaaddiction.ws/Marijuana_Addiction_Treatment.htmhttp://www.marijuanaaddiction.ws/Dangers_of_Marijuana_Addiction.htm
