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Visual Analysis for Medical Marijuana

Belem Urbina

University of Texas at El Paso

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Visual Analysis on Medical Marijuana

There have been several debates over the decades regarding the use of medical marijuana

to deal with numerous types of medical problems, including but not limited to chronic pain,

cancer, and seizures. When researching the topic of medical marijuana, the patients who used the

drug that had major medical problems in their life, they had tried other methods to control their

illnesses, but were unsuccessful as these effects would only work for a short period of time. This

was considering that doctors have yet to have find a permanent cure for these mysterious

diseases. Eventually, after viewing several articles on the internet, a video called I Tried

Medical Marijuana for My Chronic Pain presented itself. The video, made by an internet media

company called BuzzFeed, incorporated various rhetorical devices that made the video

successful in achieving over 3.5 million views.

Purpose of the Video and its Message

The overall idea for the video that BuzzFeed was trying to achieve, was to raise awareness to a

more openminded view towards using medical marijuana for illnesses. The documentary

revolves around one of the companys formal producer, Kelsey, which shows her regular

lifestyle in dealing with trigeminal neuralgia (TN). Doctors describe it as one of the worst

pains known to mankind. Attempts to reduce symptoms are often expensive and ineffective.

Now doctors are researching other methods to treat diseases like TN. Many physicians are

starting to consider applying medical marijuana in their treatments, and thus clinical studies are

being conducted on the use of medical marijuana and similar substances.

Audience Characteristics
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The video has two demographics, for people that need relief for their pain and other

symptoms and it is also trying to convince viewers to support research and take action in making

medical marijuana a reality for patients in the United States. Kelsey also mentions at the end of

the video that her main concern is those who are dealing with similar diseases and her goal is to

help raise awareness for this underfunded research.

Ethos

BuzzFeed is known to be a very entertaining media company, posting several videos

having to do with different kinds of topics. BuzzFeed has a reputation for not being a serious

news outlet, they instead use entertainment to pull in audiences rather than having a more serious

approach. They want the audience to feel a more personal connection with the producers as if

they were regular everyday people rather than reporters. Kelsey however, held an interview with

Dr. Thomas Strouse, the medical director of Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital at UCLA

Medical Center. By doing so, BuzzFeed uses Dr. Strouse as a credible source to back up the

information they have provided in the video.

Pathos

At the very start, a video clip of Kelsey crying in the middle of the night due to her

Trigeminal Neuralgia was used to evoke a sense of sympathy from the audience towards Kelsey.

The use of this clip acts as the main attention grabber that draws the viewers attention and

interest towards the video and Kelseys condition. BuzzFeed also includes footage of different

people dealing with the same disease, and depending on the person, it might give them an

uncomfortable feeling or simply a sensation of compassion as they watch these individuals in

distress. Kelsey also mentions that at one point, TN was nicknamed the suicide disease due
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to people taking their lives from how severe the pain would become. The use of strong diction

provokes empathy in the viewer.

Logos

The interview with Dr. Strouse was the highlight of the research conducted in this video.

His approach to the topic was kept professional and he managed to provide an in-depth look on

how medical marijuana affects the body and what its usage was in earlier times. He states:

Theres pretty strong evidence that whole leaf marijuana, or extracts of it, can be helpful for

nerve pain. Chronic pain, but specifically nerve pain. Is the strongest evidence. BuzzFeed also

incorporate recorded evidence from thousands of years ago into the video, in which they talk

about records dating all the way back to 2900 BCE, and even 1000 BCE. Kelsey states that back

in 2900 BCE, Chinese Emperor Fu His considered marijuana to possess yin and yang. In 1000

BCE, Ancient India would mix marijuana into milk to drink as an anesthetic. Kelsey even

includes the work of a Greek doctor who would use cannabis to treat gas and pain in the

intestinal area. Dr. Strouse also talks about the use of CBD (cannabis oil), an alternative to THC

so the patient does not become inhibited by the effects. All these records add to the informative

and educational format of the video.

Strategy

The strategy behind I Tried Medical Marijuana For My Chronic Pain included several

elements that contributed to the making of the video, which was successfully able to draw the

viewers attention. They start with pathos to lure the viewer with empathy when they included

Kelseys video of her crying in the middle of the night. Next, they immediately use Dr. Strouse

as a main component of credibility to show the viewer the positive effects of medical marijuana.
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After this they demonstrated the use of several forms of CBD and their effects. Some of which

were ineffective, and others highly effective according to Kelsey. The video then concludes by

asking the viewer to take action in supporting the research and development of medical

marijuana as a practical alternative to traditional medicine. BuzzFeeds video demonstrated that

medical marijuana should be further investigated in order to clearly understand its effects and

practical uses in the medical world.

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References

B. (2017, June 01). Retrieved September 23, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05j

EknLDEoI&t=3s