Week 5 Course Project Milestone: Annotated Bibliography

Required Resources
Read/review the following resources for this activity:

• Textbook: review all chapters
• Lesson
• Minimum of 5 scholarly sources (This includes the source from Week 3 Proposal.)

Instructions
Create a complete annotated bibliography for 5 academic scholarly sources (including your source from Week 3). Include the following:

• Introduction and thesis for your paper (to the best extent as you know it at this time)
• Publication details
• Annotation (a detailed reading of the source)

The annotation section should include the following:

• Summarize key points and identify key terms (using quotation marks, and citing a page in parentheses).
• Describe the controversies or “problems” raised by the articles.
• State whether you agree or disagree and give reasons.
• Locate one or two quotations to be used in the final research project.
• Evaluate the ways in which this article is important and has helped you focus your understanding.

Example Publication
APA Reference
Mezirow, J. (2003). Transformative learning as discourse. Journal of Transformative Education, 1(1), 58-63.
Annotation Example
In this article, Mezirow (2003) makes a distinction between “instrumental” and “communicative” learning. “Instrumental learning” refers to those processes which measure and gage learning, such as tests, grades, comments, quizzes, attendance records and the like. “Communicative learning,” on the other hand, refers to understanding created over time between individuals in what Mezirow calls “critical-dialectical-discourse,” (p. 59) which is a fancy way of saying, important conversation between 2 or more speakers. Another key idea Mezirow discusses is “transformative learning,” (p. 61) which changes the mind, the heart, the values and beliefs of people so that they may act better in the world. Mezirow argues that “hungry, desperate, homeless, sick, destitute, and intimidated people obviously cannot participate fully and freely in discourse” (p. 59). On the one hand, he is right: there are some people who cannot fully engage because their crisis is so long and deep, they are prevented. But, I don’t think Mezirow should make the blanket assumption that everyone in unfortunate circumstances is incapable of entering the discourse meaningfully. One thing is certain: if we gave as much attention to the non-instrumental forms of intelligence–like goodness, compassion, forgiveness, wonder, self-motivation, creativity, humor, love, and other non-measured forms of intelligence in our school curriculums, we’d see better people, actors in the world, and interested investigators than we currently have graduating high school.
Writing Requirements (APA format)

• Length: 1-2 paragraphs per annotation
• 1-inch margins
• Double spaced
• 12-point Times New Roman font
• Title page

This is what you have done for week 3.
 
         Week 3 Course Project Milestone: Marijuana Legalization Debate in the USA
 
The course project chosen and described in this proposal is the marijuana legalization debate in the USA. For several years, the debate on marijuana consumption has been based on its categorization as a drug capable of abuse and destruction to not only the physical health, but also, mental and social health of the consumers. However, over time, perceptions on marijuana have evolved significantly such that there have been laws that have legalized its consumption in various states in the USA (Amy et al., 2017).
Before beginning to understand marijuana legalization, an understanding of the categorization of marijuana is important as this has implications on what category of marijuana is considered safe and hence socially acceptable. The first category is CBD (cannabidiol) which is a non-psychoactive substance in marijuana which is considered useful owing to its medical benefits. The other categorization is medical marijuana refers to marijuana that has been prescribed by a trained and certified physician to help patients to manage symptoms of certain conditions, for instance patients with intractable seizure. On the other hand, recreational pot is marijuana that is often consumed with no backing of medical justification and contains significant quantities of THC, the psychoactive substance in marijuana (Amy et al., 2017).
In the present dispensation, states that have legalized marijuana have done so in an attempt to decriminalize marijuana. This was experienced in the 1990s when five states passed medical marijuana laws that essentially eased the law to have lenient penalties extended to those possessing small quantities of marijuana. However, trafficking of marijuana as well as possession of large quantities of marijuana illegal (Amy et al., 2017).
Since the 1990s, the consumption of marijuana, especially recreational pot, has become more mainstream. Today, many people view its consumption as less harmful unlike in the past years such as the 1970s. For many states that have so far passed marijuana legalization laws, their war on drugs has had an element of decriminalization of marijuana.  It should be understood that these states do not essentially legalize marijuana but decriminalize it. This means that those found guilty of trafficking marijuana can still be prosecuted and fined or jailed, depending on the specific stipulations of the marijuana legislations in these states. Finally, the legalization of marijuana continues to be a hot debate as perceptions continue to evolve and become more liberal (Amy et al., 2017).
 
 
References
Amy M. Cohn, Amanda L. Johnson, Shyanika W. Rose, Jessica M. Rath & Andrea C. Villanti (2017). Support for Marijuana Legalization and Predictors of Intentions to Use Marijuana More Often in Response to Legalization Among U.S. Young Adults. Substance Use & Misuse, 52(2), p. 203-213, DOI: 10.1080/10826084.2016.1223688.