Marijuana

Title of speech: The Pro's And Con's Of Marijuana for Medicinal Purposes.

Purpose of the speech: After hearing my speech the audience will be able to tell us What Is Marijuana? , Medical Uses of Marijuana, and also the pro's and con's of Marijuana. They will also be able to tell us the four main medical uses of marijuana for medicinal purposes.

Types of Visuals: Three posters showing what Marijuana is. The pro's of marijuana and the cons of Marijuana.

Introduction:

Marijuana is one of the oldest cultivated plants (Nahas 8). Since it became illegal in 1967, there have been questions of whether or not it is good for purposes, such as medicine, other than being a leisure drug. Debates between pro and con groups for the use of marijuana in the medical profession, have been heated and in recent months, referendums have been pasted in a least three states to make it accessible for medical treatment. Personally, I feel that marijuana has the potential to be a significant help with certain aliments, however, more research needs to be done to maximize its potential.

I. What is marijuana?

A) Marijuana is a green, brown, or gray mixture of dried, shredded leaves, stems, seeds, and flowers of the hemp plant. You may hear marijuana called by street names such as pot, herb, weed, grass, Pakalolo, Mary Jane, gangster, or chronic. There are more than 200 slang terms for marijuana.

B) Sinsemilla (sin-seh-me-yah; it's a Spanish word), hashish ("hash" for short), and hash oil are stronger forms of marijuana.

C) All forms of marijuana are mind-altering. In other words, they change how the brain works. They all contain THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol), the main active chemical in marijuana. They also contain more than 400 other chemicals. Marijuana's effects on the user depend on it's strength or potency, which is related to the amount of THC it contains(5). The THC content of marijuana has been increasing since the 1970s.

II. Medical Uses Of Marijuana

A) Cancer Chemotherapy: often causes extreme nausea and vomiting

* Active ingredient THC reduces vomiting and nausea,

B) AIDS: related wasting Low appetite, loss of lean (muscle) mass

* Improves appetite

C) Pain and Muscle Spasms: Associated with epilepsy and multiple sclerosis

* Reduces muscle spasms; may ease incontinence of

bladder and bowel and relieve depression.

C) Glaucoma: A progressive form of blindness due to increased pressure inside the eyeball

* When smoked, it reduces pressure within the eye. But it may also reduce

Blood flow to the optic nerve, exacerbating the loss of vision

III. Pro's Of Marijuana

* It has little effect on major physiological functions

* No known case of a lethal overdose

* Marijuana is also far less addictive and far less subject to abuse than many drugs now used