Part I: Damon Linker; Part II: Don Feder

In Part I of the following two-part viewpoint, Damon Linker argues against legalizing marijuana. He contends that legalizing marijuana would make it widely available, thus leading to rampant drug use among youth. Moreover, the pleasure derived from smoking marijuana is a hollow pleasure that leaves a feeling of emptiness in the user’s soul, he maintains. In Part II, Don Feder asserts that marijuana is responsible for turning studious, well-behaved students into teens in trouble. He claims that a study has found a direct link between marijuana use and “delinquent/depressive behavior.” Linker is the associate editor of the monthly journal First Things; Feder is a syndicated columnist.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. According to Linker, why is marijuana at least as lethal as tobacco?
2. How...