Ryan i would be interested to know how old you are.
You have laid your project out in an interesting way, you have also done some research, and supplied references. If the person who is grading your work knows nothing about bees i think you may score well.
However there is a problem. Which is, a number of your facts are wrong. This is not your fault, it is because the sources you have referenced are poorly informed, and you have used their information without cross checking their accuracy.
But you have done well coming here to seek further information. However getting the truth, will mean you will have to re write your assignment, and will not be able to back your point, being that smoking bees should be banned.
Way I see it you got 2 choices. Present your assignment as is, and you may score well if the person grading it knows nothing about beekeeping. Or, change it somewhat. Here's a couple facts if you go the change it route.
A langstroth hive will typically hold a lot more bees than an average wild hive. Langstroth hives are designed to be expandable to build big bee populations and maximise the honey crop. This is not a problem for your assignment you can simply re write that part and it will not change the general thrust of your article.
But about smoking. You are correct, it masks the bees ability to detect alarm pheremones. In practise, this has the effect of keeping the bees calm. A hive that stays calm during the beekeeper visit will come through in better shape than a hive that gets riled up. The calm hive is simply re assembled by the beekeeper after the visit, and the bees just get on with their work as though nothing happened. Much better for the bees. Spraying sugar water, and other methods, work, but no other method works as well as smoke.
Unfortunately, stating that, is going to destroy the thrust of your article, that smoking bees should be banned.
I have a suggestion though, an alternative point to the article. There are a few possibilities but here is one. Since you discuss organic honey, should any honey be labelled organic? Because here's the thing. A beekeeper may apply organic principles to how he cares for his bees. But how does he know that somewhere on another property, his bees visited plants that had been contaminated with something somebody sprayed?
If that point doesn't work for you there could be others, but if you think of one, run it past us first so we can fact check for you before you go to the trouble of writing it up.