Marijuana as a Gateway Drug the Causal Fallacy Essay Example

Marijuana as a Gateway Drug: the Causal Fallacy Paper Marijuana as a Gateway Drug: The Causal Fallacy The marijuana plant, perhaps the most widely-used illicit drug in the world, was once demonized by authorities and the media. In the 1936 film Marijuana: Weed with Roots in Hell, director Dwain Esper portrayed teens smoking marijuana and then engaging in perceived evils such as nude bathing and unchaperoned partying, with one girl becoming pregnant. The film went on to further depict the characters becoming addicted to marijuana and committing serious crimes including a police shootout and kidnapping for ransom. These claims are based on the type of faulty casual analysis that has given rise to anti-marijuana myths that have endured over the years, but they are fortunately starting to abate. While the Western world has lightened up, some misconceptions persist, particularly those based on casual fallacy. An example of such a fallacy can be found in the argument that marijuana is a â€Å"gateway drug† which causes users to eventually progress to hard drugs, when that’s not actually the case. The correlation between marijuana and other illegal substances is not in dispute, nor is the chronology in that marijuana use typically precedes other drug use. We will write a custom essay sample on Marijuana as a Gateway Drug: the Causal Fallacy specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Marijuana as a Gateway Drug: the Causal Fallacy specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Marijuana as a Gateway Drug: the Causal Fallacy specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Studies show that a hard drug users’ first experience with an illicit drug is likely to be marijuana, and that nearly every hard drug user has tried marijuana at least once. Furthermore, studies also show that marijuana users are more likely to try hard drugs than non-users. But correlation and chronology doesn’t imply causation, and it’s causation that is at the crux of the â€Å"gateway drug† argument. The reason marijuana use typically occurs before other illicit drug is because it’s readily available and accessible, especially for youth. Instead of having to venture to a store and provide photo ID as a young teens would with liquor and tobacco, they might be able to buy marijuana without having to leave school property or even their own home. Acquiring it may involve only placing a quick phone call to a drug dealer and having it delivered like a pizza. The primary reason for this is marijuana’s illegality. By outlawing marijuana it’s driven to the black market where there is no age restriction or code of ethics. Furthermore, a marijuana dealer may also introduce customers to their harder product lines, or at least connect them with someone who can. Dealers tend to be more cautious of selling harder drugs since the penalties, if caught, are much stiffer. Once trust is gained through the sale of marijuana, they might be more comfortable progressing to more serious transactions. Because of this, the first experience people may have to illicit drugs is likely to be marijuana, putting it in the position where it appears to cause other drug use simply because of chronological order. The lack of objective evidence showing a casual link between marijuana and hard drugs was discussed in the scientific literature as early as 1999. In the book Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base, published by the US Institute of Medicine, researchers wrote that â€Å"because it is the most widely used illicit drug, marijuana is predictably the first illicit drug most people encounter† and that â€Å"not surprisingly, most users of other illicit drugs have used marijuana first† (Joy et al. 6). However, â€Å"there is no conclusive evidence that the drug effects of marijuana are causally linked to the subsequent abuse of other illicit drugs† (Joy et al. 6). Subsequent research has similarly been unable to establish casual links. While most hard drug users started with marijuana, and most hard drug users have used marijuana, it’s important to note that most marijuana users don’t actually use hard drugs. If marijuana caused hard drug use we would expect the rates of marijuana use to be consistent with the rates of hard drug use. The rate of marijuana use is nearly six-times higher than the five major types of hard drugs combined, according to Canadian government statistics. Health Canada’s 2010 â€Å"Canadian Alcohol and Drug Use Monitoring Surveyâ€Å" reported that 10. 7% of respondents 15 years of age or older admitted to using marijuana in the past year, while only 0. % used crack, 0. 5% used speed, 0. 7% used ecstasy, and 0. 7% used some type of illicit hallucinogen (excluding salvia). The total reported usage for these other drugs is 1. 8%, nearly one-sixth that of marijuana. Another factor is that marijuana users tend to be more prone to using hard drugs simply because they have t he personality traits conducive to substance abuse. These traits include the attitudes, feelings, responses, and behaviours that contribute to a person’s psychological makeup. In the 2002 article â€Å"Are Personality Traits Familial Risk Factors for Substance Use Disorders? researchers explain that â€Å"longitudinal studies have implicated personality characteristics as predisposing vulnerabilities for the subsequent development of substance-related disorders† (Swendsen et al. ). In this sense, marijuana and crack users have something in common; they are all willing to alter one’s mind to the chagrin of the law. Casual fallacies abound when we humans attempt to understand the world around us. It’s tempting to conclude that causation is established because there is a correlation or chronological order of events, but that’s not a logical approach. There are a multitude of factors to consider when establishing a causal link, and this is no exception. While marijuana is correlated with hard drugs, and marijuana use typically precedes hard drug use, it does not actually cause hard drug use. Like the other fallacies before it, the â€Å"gateway drug† fallacy is yet another marijuana myth that can hopefully be put to rest. Works Cited Canada. Health Canada. â€Å"Canadian Alcohol and Drug Use Monitoring Survey: 2010. † Ottawa: Health Canada, n. d. Web. 16 Nov. 2011. http://www. hc-sc. gc. a/hc-ps/drugs-drogues/stat/_2010/summary-sommaire-eng. php. Joy, Janet E. , et al. Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base. Washington, DC: The National Academic Press. 1999. Print. Marihuana: Weed with Roots in Hell! Dir. Dwain Esper. Perf. Harley Wood, Hugh McArthur, Pat Carlyle, and Paul Ellis. Roadshow Attractions Inc. , 1936. Film. Swendsen, Joel D. , et al. â€Å"Are Personality Traits Familial Risk Factors for Subs tance Use Disorders? Results of a Controlled Family Study† The American Journal of Psychiatry 159. 10 (2002): 1760-1766. Web. 18 Nov. 2011.

Absolute Beginner English Telling Time

Absolute Beginner English Telling Time Telling the time is a basic skill that most students will eagerly acquire. You will need to take some sort of clock into the room. The best clock is one that has been designed for teaching purposes, however, you can also just draw a clock face on the board and add various times as you go through the lesson. Many students might be used to a 24-hour clock in their native culture. To begin telling time, its a good idea to just go through the hours and make students aware of the fact that we use a twelve-hour clock in English. Write the numbers 1 - 24 on the board and the equivalent time in English, i.e. 1 - 12, 1 - 12. It is also best to leave out. a.m. and p.m. at this point. Teacher: (Take the clock and set it to a time on the hour, i.e. seven oclock) What time is it? Its seven oclock. (Model what time and oclock by emphasizing what time and oclock in the question and response. This use of accenting differing words with your intonation helps students learn that what time is used in the question form and oclock in the answer.) Teacher: What time is it? Its eight oclock. (Go through a number of different hours. Make sure to demonstrate that we use a 12-hour clock by pointing to a number above 12 such as 18 and saying Its six oclock.) Teacher: (Change the hour on the clock) Paolo, what time is it? Student(s): Its three oclock. Teacher: (Change the hour on the clock) Paolo, ask Susan a question. Student(s): What time is it? Student(s): Its four oclock. Continue this exercise around the room with each of the students. If a student makes a mistake, touch your ear to signal that the student should listen and then repeat his/her answer accenting what the student should have said. Part II: Learning a Quarter to, Quarter Past and Half Past Teacher: (Set the clock to a quarter to an hour, i.e. quarter to three) What time is it? Its a quarter to three. (Model to by accenting to in the response. This use of accenting differing words with your intonation helps students learn that to is used to express time before the hour.) Teacher: (Repeat setting the clock to a number of different quarters to an hour, i.e. quarter to four, five, etc.) Teacher: (Set the clock to a quarter past an hour, i.e. a quarter past three) What time is it? Its a quarter past three. (Model past by accenting past in the response. This use of accenting differing words with your intonation helps students learn that past is used to express time past the hour.) Teacher: (Repeat setting the clock to a number of different quarters past an hour, i.e. quarter past four, five, etc.) Teacher: (Set the clock to half past an hour, i.e. half past three) What time is it? Its half past three. (Model past by accenting past in the response. This use of accenting differing words with your intonation helps students learn that past is used to express time past the hour, specifically that we say half past an hour rather than half to an hour as in some other languages.) Teacher: (Repeat setting the clock to a number of different halves past an hour, i.e. half past four, five, etc.) Teacher: (Change the hour on the clock) Paolo, what time is it? Student(s): Its half past three. Teacher: (Change the hour on the clock) Paolo, ask Susan a question. Student(s): What time is it? Student(s): Its a quarter to five. Continue this exercise around the room with each of the students. Watch out for students using oclock improperly. If a student makes a mistake, touch your ear to signal that the student should listen and then repeat his/her answer accenting what the student should have said. Part III: Including the Minutes Teacher: (Set the clock to a minutes to or minutes past the hour) What time is it? Its seventeen (minutes) past three. Teacher: (Change the hour on the clock) Paolo, ask Susan a question. Student(s): What time is it? Student(s): Its ten (minutes) to five. Continue this exercise around the room with each of the students. Watch out for students using oclock improperly. If a student makes a mistake, touch your ear to signal that the student should listen and then repeat his/her answer emphasizing what the student should have said.

Understand the Behaviour of Organisations in their Market Environment Essay

Understand the Behaviour of Organisations in their Market Environment - Essay Example Understand the Behaviour of Organisations in their Market Environment This has enhances shopping for consumers making it even more convenient by providing all products under the same roof. Tesco’s has been working towards building of a sustainable business model throughout the years. This has been done through diversification into new geographical areas as well as value added retailing (Datamonitor, 2011, 7). This has enabled Tesco to reduce its business risk as well as work toward increased sales through trade in growth markets. Similarly, value added retailing encourages consumers loyalty and assist to sustain revenue growth even in times of economic difficulties. However, with increased competition in the UK market, retaining customers would be a crucial concern for Tesco. This has a risk of causing loss of the market share (Finne & Sivonen, 2009, 298). Perfect Competition This is the existence of different buyers and sellers, which implies that prices vary in response to supply as well as demand (Wood, 2008, 187). The market is characterized with substitutes where increase in price of one commodity means a change to consumption of the existing substitute. Both the buyer and the seller are seen to have equal chances of influencing the price. There are two extremes in perfect competition, which include monopoly, as well as oligopoly market. Price and output in a perfect market is determined as shown below. The profit in the firm indicates the level of price and output in three different ways. For a firm to make profits, it will produce at a level where P> ATC, while experiencing losses P< ATC and for it to break even P= ATC. Monopoly In a monopolistic market, there is only a single seller with a number of sellers. The firm is the price maker and therefore, determines the level of output as well as price (Finne & Sivonen, 2009, 298). The firms aim is to maximize profit. Oligopoly Classical theory in economics has the assumption that a producer with some market power whose aim is to maximize profit will set Marginal Cost ( MC) equals to Marginal Revenue (MR) (Finne & Sivonen, 2009, 298). This indicates that the larger the quantity sold the lower is the price. Any change in MC or MR will be indicated by the price. This, however, does not occur where a kink exists. As a result, MC in this case would change without a change in price or quantity. The advantage of this to consumers is that companies will not raise their prices in fear of losing customers (Seth & Randall, 2011, 234). However, even a fall in price will only gain a few customers. This indicates that the curve is price elastic in case of price increase and less for price decrease. In the end, competitive firms will enter the industry. Pestle Analysis Political factors Tesco is an international company with carrying out operations in 14 countries. This makes the organization susceptible to the various legislative and political environments in these countries. This necessitates the compliant to comply with these laws to avoid conflicts with the authorities. In most countries, governments encourage foreign companies to consider local candidates for various posts in the organizations, to ensure locals benefit from their investments. This, therefore, means that Tesco employs a wide pool of individuals to satisfy their labor requirements. Tesco will be compelled to follow the legislation on employment adopted in the country where its stores are located. Economic Factors Economic factors are crucial in the operation of an

The Systems Development Life Cycle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Systems Development Life Cycle - Essay Example This involved establishing the business processes used by the company. This is necessary so that the processes are redesigned to take advantage of the modern system solutions operating characteristics. Data analysis is also quite useful in the determination of the system requirements. To accomplish this, a study on flow of information in the organization is carried out in order to come with dataflow diagrams that will be quite important in the design of the system (Somers & Nelson, 2004, P.258). Decision Analysis is meant to identify the decisions that are made by the manager. The main decisions that are made by the manager are identifiable at in individual level. Gathering of this information will help in the actual development of a system that will assist the managers to make decisions (Somers & Nelson,2004,P.259). This method is valuable when the primary objective of the system is decision support. There was also process analysis that was meant to review business processes of the company. In this stage, the processes of an organization are identifies and divides into a number of events that can either change or add data. Modification and reengineering of these processes help in improving the operations of the organization through improving service, cost reduction, quality and management information The development of an accounting information system can be successful if the process is divided into different phases or stages. The phases in the field of software development is referred to as System development life cycle(SDLC) which comprises Planning and Investigation, System Analysis,Design,Coding ,implementation, maintenance and Follow up. The planning and investigation phase needs the creation of a team to carry out an investigation on the current system and provide recommendations to a steering team. The main focus of the team is to come up with a way handing the request of

Final Project Problem at Work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Final Project Problem at Work - Essay Example In explaining this problem, I explain how it occurs in organizations as well as in individuals. This problem takes place in two major steps. Step 1 is leaking out of this information to irresponsible individuals. In most cases these results from working routines in which the person given the mandate of safeguarding this information fails in his work. In step two, this information finds its way to an individual who use it for his malicious gains. These two steps are interconnected with step two depending largely on step one. However, step one can occur but step two fails to occur when the information lands on another responsible person. The impact of this problem is actually very great in terms of what it can cost an individual or an organization. Moreover, it does not require a lot of time so that it can yield massive losses to the victims. This is because it has been discovered that loss of Personally Identifiable Information has resulted to loss of millions of records over the past few years thus causing massive harms to both individuals and organizations (McCallister, 2010). However, in most cases the loss of Personally Identifiable Information is only discovered after it has already caused massive harm to the victims some of which are irreversible. To an individual this problem has been leading to identity theft, embarrassments, and blackmails all of which can make a person to incur losses and destroy his relationship with other people. All this are only possible when Personally Identifiable information gets lost and land on the hand of organizations or individuals who use it for malicious gains. Therefore, if we can address this problem we can be able to avoid issues such as identity theft, embarrassments, and blackmails. Among the issues caused by this problem, the most prevalent one is the identity theft. Identity theft is undertaking an activity while pretending to be somebody else. In such cases, the activity is associated with the

The Present Work of Christ in Hebrews Essay Example for Free

The Present Work of Christ in Hebrews Essay David McLeod has written this journal article in large part in response to a number of writers who have charged that the present work of Christ has largely â€Å"been neglected† [1] by systematic theologians of the church today. In McLeod’s estimation such neglect would not be understood by the New Testament authors, as Christ’s present work was one of their most important themes in the New Testament. McLeod states that, â€Å"The purpose of this article is to examine the work of one of those authors, the epistle to the Hebrews, and to outline its contribution to the subject. †[2] McLeod gives three reasons for his study. First, no theme that was central to apostolic Christianity can be overlooked, second, added attention needs to be directed to earlier studies in Hebrews and finally, McLeod’s hope is that material covered in this article will aid those who teach and study the Bible to be more fully informed about the subject of the work of Christ in the Epistle to the Hebrews. Commencement of Christ’s Present Ministry With the purpose of this article being to examine the work of the New Testament author of Hebrews intent, and outline said New Testament’s author’s work regarding the work of Christ, McLeod does so two fold. First, McLeod addresses the Commencement of Christ’s Present Ministry, and secondly the Activities of His Present Ministry. The commencement of Christ’s present ministry begins with His ascension which â€Å"is one of a series of events that marked the beginning of Christs present ministry. †[3] With His ascension Christ entered into the sanctuary where He took up His place of honor in the holy of holies. This place of honor was at the right hand of the father, where Christ was exalted and rested from His completed work. It was at this point that Christ was installed as High Priest and given His present ministry. McLeod writes that, â€Å"The Son of God has obtained a more excellent ministry than that of the Levitical priests who served the earthly tabernacle (8:5-6). †[4] †The perfect tense suggests not only that Jesus obtained this ministry in the past but also that He still possesses it†. [5] Once Christ obtained His ministry, the text in Hebrews suggests that this ministry is still in Christ’s possession and that it continues. Activities of Christ’s Present Ministry The activities of Christ’s present ministry are six fold. As the High Priest of mankind, one of Christ’s present ministries is to stand before God and represent those who have accepted His sacrifice. Representation can be thought of in McLeod’s opinion as Christ being in the immediate presence of God†,[6] representing â€Å"sinners on the basis of a finished sacrifice whereby they have acceptance with God and are favorably regarded by Him. [7] Inauguration, the second of Christ’s activities is to provide a new and living way to commune with God that never grows obsolete. Intercession, is defined by McLeod as, â€Å" the sympathetic appeals and petitions of the ascended, incarnate Son of God to God the Father (on the basis of a finished sacrifice) for the preservation, forgiveness, renovation, and bringing to glory of His people. †[8] Mediation is the activity where Christ mediated His followers p rayers and praise as well, being the medium for the power of God to be released upon His people. Anticipation as defined by McLeod represents â€Å"that quiescent activity of Christ whereby He awaits His return (1:6; 9:28; 10:37), the defeat of His enemies (1:13; 10:13), and His rule as King (1:8-9) over the world to come (2:5). †[9] Benediction is the final of the six activities outlined by McLeod. McLeod denotes that Benediction is â€Å"Christs work of benediction in Hebrews, His future return to His people from His heavenly sanctuary and the fulfillment of the promise†[10] Critical Evaluation McLeod’s argument is centered on the claim that today’s church and systematic theologian’s attention to the present work of Christ has largely â€Å"been neglected†. [11]McLeod’s aim is to examine the book of Hebrews and by doing so reiterate the importance that no theme of the apostolic writings should be neglected; he also wishes to draw further attention to the book of Hebrews and its estimation of the present work of Christ. McLeod’s division in this article outlines the commencement of Christ’s Present Ministry, and secondly the Activities of His Present Ministry. McLeod makes a sound argument for the commencement of Christ’s present ministry. Touching on the end of His earthly ministry, with His ascension, and His installment as High Priest in the holy of holies. McLeod’s evaluation of Christ’s present ministry is just as compelling and does well in addressing the many scholarly views pertaining to the present ministry of Christ. McLeod states that, â€Å"The author of Hebrews wrote of a number of activities presently being performed by Christ as High Priest. Scholars differ over the number of distinct activities and their nature. †[12] In regard to intercession McLeod brings the reader through many views that are held in regard to the present ministry of Christ and seems to amplify that this present ministry of Christ is of the utmost importance to grasp and understand. Conclusion Overall, McLeod has successfully accomplished of his goal of bringing added attention to the present work of Christ and outline the timeline of when His present ministry began. His arguments are sound and thorough, leaving little to question. While reading this article the reader will be brought methodically and precisely through the work of Christ’s present ministry, and in so doing accomplish the goal of the author to provide material that will aid and instruct Bible students who teach and write on Christology.

Dances With Wolves Essay -- essays research papers

The film, Dances with Wolves, staring Kevin Costner gives a historically accurate presentation of the Sioux Indians and their way of life. In this production, Lieutenant John Dunbar, played by Costner, is rewarded for his heroic actions in the Civil War by being offered an opportunity to see the American frontier before it is gone. Dunbar is assigned to an abandoned fort where his only friends are a lone wolf and his beloved horse, Cisco. After several weeks of waiting for more American troops, a Sioux Indian makes contact with Dunbar and reports this finding to his chief. This incident sets off a train of events that would forever change John Dunbar and the Sioux tribe he encounters. When Dunbar realizes that the Indians know where he lives, he becomes extremely paranoid and spends his days preparing the fort for another confrontation. He buries all the extra materials in fear that they might fall into enemy hands. On one of his daily rides around the frontier, Dunbar comes across an Indian woman crying under a tree. He sees the imminent danger from the woman’s self-inflicted wounds and determines it is his duty to return the woman to the Sioux camp. Dunbar dresses in his best uniform and shines his boots to prepare for the meeting. When the Sioux spot Dunbar they are immediately alarmed and confront him ready to kill. Kicking Bird, a Sioux holy man and the first Sioux to know of Dunbar’s existence, discourages the fight claiming that the white man is not there to fight. Wind In His Hair, a fierce warrior, tears the Sioux women from Dunbar’s grasp and the lieutenant is allowed to go freely. That following evening the Sioux council discussed w hat they would do with their new neighbor and decided that Kicking Bird and Wind In His Hair would revisit Dunbar’s fort to find out why he was there. Dunbar welcomed the Sioux to the fort but was worried of what they planned to do with him. The language barrier was met head on, as neither could understand each other. Using gestures and objects, limited communication was accomplished on the first visit. The Sioux continued to visit Dunbar and each day progress was made. Dunbar taught the Indians some of the white culture and Kicking Bird was anxious to discover why he was in their territory and how many more white men would come. Both sides were forced to overcome the language barrier and their mutual fear and distrus... ...w village, he took the trip back to the fort, promising to catch up with them later. Upon his arrival at the fort, a new fleet of soldiers had settled in. They quickly spotted Dances With Wolves and attacked him. The soldiers killed his horse and arrested him. Dances With Wolves would not cooperate with the American soldiers but would only speak to them in Sioux. Due to his lack of assistance, the soldiers were forced to transport their prisoner back to Fort Mays to be hung. Before the Americans could make it to Mays, the Sioux attacked them and saved Dances With Wolves. Dances had proven his loyalty to the Sioux and abandoned all his white ways. The transformation became complete. Lieutenant John Dunbar went through several drastic changes to become Dances With Wolves. In his short time with the Indians, he turned enemies into friends and foreign customs into his own. His view of the Sioux changes more severe than he does. No longer does he view them as savages without order, but now he sees them as a civilized group with more heart than anyone he has met before. His experiences with the Sioux help to open his eyes and change him into a man he never was and never thought he’d be.