Legalizing Medical Marijuana

Legalizing Medical Marijuana

Introduction:

I. Attention Getter: Chemotherapy is poison. Many prescription drugs have

harmful side effects and interactions.

A: chemo kills millions of cells - good and bad вЂ"

the body tries to expel the poison вЂ" nausea

B: Lortab, Percoset, Oxycontin, Morphene вЂ" highly

addictive, cause ulcers, nausea вЂ" 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:

A. Benefits and Uses

B. Impact of Legalization

IV. Needs Appeal: Health and Safety

Body:

I. Benefits and Uses

A. Illnesses

1. 1999 Study вЂ" National Academy of Science’s Institute of Medicine: marijuana can help curb pain, nausea, AIDS-related weight loss

2. patients report easing of symptoms from MS, glaucoma and rheumatoid arthritis

3. Research found cannabinoids (active components) may treat symptoms from Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, Epilepsy & may have anti-cancer properties

(Bailey)

B. Methods of Use

1. Smoking (of course!) вЂ" irritates some patients’ throat, lungs вЂ" still easiest and most effective

2. THC pills вЂ" takes longer, more difficult to get

3. Teas, baked goods, candy, lollipops

4. Vaporizers

(Nadelmann)

C. Known Side Effects

1. May 2006 UCLA study

вЂ" Disproves gov. 2005 ad campaign “Four Cigarettes” :

вЂ" Even those who smoked more than 22 thousand joints вЂ" NO increase in lung cancer rates.

вЂ" Tobacco smokers вЂ" 2,000 % increase

(Mirken)

2. Never a recorded overdose

3. Inhibits some cognition, motor skills

4. 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 вЂ"Drug Policy Alliance

(Swanson)

5. Alcohol is more harmful

(Bailey)

II. Impact of Legalization

A. Influence on American Teens, Kids

1. “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.”

2. CA, WA, MA, AK, CO, HA,NV, OR, MN, VT вЂ" allow med вЂ" pot

3. past-month use