Cultural Analysis of "How legalizing pot could save America's economy"

In this post I will be analyzing the article that I chose for this project, "How legalizing pot could save America's economy", by looking at it from a cultural perspective.

Pictures of Money, "Money." 8/1/2014 via Flickr. Attribution 2.0 Generic

Cultural Words:

• "Prohibition"- The author uses the word prohibition several times in the article. The stigma around this word is somewhat outdated and negative. Thus, the author is utilizing prohibition to proclaim that keeping illegal is an archaic and irrational notion. 
• "Alcohol"- The author mentions alcohol many times in her writing. This is her way of showing readers how greatly our country's opinion on issues can change. Alcohol, which used to be totally illegal is now a common part of our culture, therefore marijuana can also make the change.
• "Taxes"- Another cultural word that the author mentions is taxes. The leaders of our country like to make money, but this profit can go to causes that benefit the American people also. Thus, the word taxes, helps prove the author's point in the eyes of both lawmakers and common people of the U.S.

Thesis/Main Idea:

The United States's economy would prosper in many sectors, benefiting both the government and working citizens, if marijuana is legalized in all states. 

The author's main purpose for writing this piece is to show how the legalization of marijuana can help America's economy in a plethora of ways including jobs and tourism, and that cannabis's economic benefits outweighs the moral arguments that opponents of legalization are presenting.