Legalizing Medical Marijuana
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Legalizing Medical Marijuana
Introduction:
Attention Getter: Chemotherapy is poison. Many prescription drugs have
harmful side effects and interactions.
A: chemo kills millions of cells – good and bad —
the body tries to expel the poison — nausea
B: Lortab, Percoset, Oxycontin, Morphene — highly
addictive, cause ulcers, nausea — overdose is fatal
C: Many patients turning to alternative therapy, with
fewer negative side effects, sometimes better results –
Whether it’s legal or not.
II. Thesis Statement: Research has demonstrated that marijuana use is medically beneficial and that legalization would have a positive impact, demonstrated by happier patients who display anxiety reduction, appetite stimulation, nausea reduction and pain relief followed by a cut in government spending and rise in federal income.
III. Division of Thesis:
Benefits and Uses
Impact of Legalization
IV. Needs Appeal: Health and Safety
Body:
Benefits and Uses
Illnesses
1999 Study — National Academy of Science’s Institute of Medicine: marijuana can help curb pain, nausea, AIDS-related weight loss
patients report easing of symptoms from MS, glaucoma and rheumatoid arthritis
Research found cannabinoids (active components) may treat symptoms from Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, Epilepsy & may have anti-cancer properties
(Bailey)
Methods of Use
Smoking (of course!) — irritates some patients’ throat, lungs — still easiest and most effective
THC pills — takes longer, more difficult to get
Teas, baked goods, candy, lollipops
Vaporizers
(Nadelmann)
Known Side Effects
May 2006 UCLA study
—
Disproves gov. 2005 ad campaign “Four Cigarettes” :
—
Even those who smoked more than 22 thousand joints — NO increase in lung cancer rates.
—
Tobacco smokers — 2,000 % increase
(Mirken)
Never a recorded overdose
Inhibits some cognition, motor skills
Some studies suggest increased risk of mental illness in adulthood for teens
>>>>> “There’s a question about whether there’s a causality; children and teens who are predisposed to have mental health problems may be more likely to try marijuana… you can’t even find a presidential candidate now who will say he has never used it. We all know people who smoked marijuana for periods of time and they’re all doing fine.”
Ethan Nadelmann —Drug Policy Alliance
(Swanson)
Alcohol is more harmful
(Bailey)
II. Impact of Legalization
Influence on American Teens, Kids
“Teens in a handful of states allowing medical marijuana are no more likely to use the drug than those in other states”
Study, Marijuana Policy Project, Sept. 2006
2. Belies Bush administration claims “send youth a mixed message…
helps to encourage drug use.”
CA, WA, MA, AK, CO, HA,NV, OR, MN, VT — allow med — pot
past-month use