Assignment Instructions/ Description
Policy Analysis
Section 1- Problem Identification & Background (50 points)
PH 528
Introduction:State Senator Hob Bryan (Mississippi District 7) is the chairman of the Mississippi State Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee. Now that the state legislature has passed a bill legalizing medical marijuana use in the state, members of the committee are debating whether to draft legislation to legalizerecreational use of marijuana in Mississippi. Senator Bryan has asked you to write a policy analysis on this issue.
A policy analysis contains five sections: problem identification, background, landscape, options, and recommendation. For this first assignment, you will complete the problem identification and background.
- Problem Identification (1 sentence)
- For this assignment, everyone will have the same
- Should recreational marijuana use be legal in the state of Mississippi?
- For this assignment, everyone will have the same
Background (~1 page)
- Informs the reader why this particular problem has been chosen for analysis
- Provides relevant background information without presenting pros and cons of either side of the issue
Recommendations for information to include:
- Definitions and effects of marijuana and marijuana useMeaning of medical vs. recreational marijuana usePrevalence of marijuana use in Mississippi and the U.S.The history and current state of marijuana
- (medical and recreational) in Mississippi and other states in the U.S.
Other information you deem relevant
Format:
No title, heading, or title page needed- just begin with your problem question
Bolded section titles
Use in-text citations and include a reference page
Double-spaced, one-inch margins, 12 pt. Times New Roman font
Other Notes:
Read and use Ch. 14 in your textbook, which outlines how to write a policy analysis
All information should include an in-text citation and a mention on your reference page
Can reference scholarly articles, news articles, and reputable government, health, or non-profit agencies
Avoid direct quotations from references- paraphrase and cite