Shateanu’ Bryant

Professor Bailey Maple

ENG 101-45
October 22, 2019

1. Introduction: Background Information on Marijuana

a. Marijuana is also known as Cannabis
b. Most ancient cultures did now grow the plant to get high
- grew it as herbal medicine
- Also used for spiritual purposes
c. Cannabis use originated thousands of years ago in Asia before people introduced
the plant into Africa, Europe and eventually the Americas.
- found its way to many regions of the world
- eventually spreading to the Americas and the United States.
- Marijuana was legal in many regions of the world for most of its history.
d. The history of cannabis cultivation in America dates back to the early colonists,
who grew hemp for textiles and rope.
- Hemp fiber was used to make clothing, paper, sails and rope, and its seeds
were used as food.

2. Paragraph 1: What is Medical Marijuana and how it works

a. Medical marijuana uses the marijuana/cannabis plant or chemicals in it to treat
diseases or conditions. It's basically the same product as recreational marijuana,
but it's taken for medical purposes.
b. Must be used for medical purposes only (if the doctor says so and prescribe)
c. Stuff medical Marijuana can help
- Help lessen stomach pain and vomiting in people suffering from cholera.
- epilepsy,
- Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut

3. Paragraph 2: What is THC and CBD?

a. The marijuana plant contains more than 100 different chemicals called
cannabinoids. Each one has a different effect on the body.
- Elaborate more about cannabinoids (research)
b. Cannabidiol (CBD) are the main chemicals used in medicine.
c. Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol THC produces the "high" people feel when they
smoke marijuana or eat foods (edibles) containing it.

4. Paragraph 3: Benefits/Pros of Medical Marijuana

a. Medical Marijuana can be used to treat a number of conditions
 - Alzheimer disease
- Cancer
- Crohn's disease
- Epilepsy
- etc.
b. Can help with different pains
c. Cannabis does not need to be smoked to be medically beneficial. Products such as
cannabidiol (CBD) oils, topical pain relief treatments, edibles, and other non-
smoking applications are now available.
d. Legalizing and regulating marijuana will create more jobs.
- It will bring one of the nation's largest cash crops under the rule of law.
- It will create economic opportunities in the formal economy instead of the
illicit market.

5. Paragraph 4: Cons of Medical Marijuan/ Risks

a. People could become addicted and began to abuse it
b. Can cause lung tissue damage
c. Frequent use can impair cognitive ability
- Could affect memory
- Makes you make appropriate decisions (under the influence)
d. Mention the effects and impact it could have on children

6. Paragraph 5: Why hasn’t more research has been done on Medical Marijuana?
a. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) considers marijuana a
Schedule I drug, the same as heroin, LSD, and ecstasy, and likely to be abused
and lacking in medical value.
b. Researchers needs a special license to study it
c. Investigators seeking to conduct research on cannabis or cannabinoids must
navigate a series of review processes that may involve the National Institute on
Drug Abuse (NIDA), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the U.S.
Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), institutional review boards, offices or
departments in state government, state boards of medical examiners, the
researcher's home institution, and potential funders.
- Go a bit more in debt of the process

7. Paragraph 6: Legalization of Medical Marijuana

a. Research and talk about the process and tie it with paragraph 5
b. Mention some states that have legalized marijuana
- Canada
- Australia
 - Chile
- Etc.
c. The difference between the legalization of medical marijuana and recreational
marijuana
8. Conclusion
a. Overall, the impact of the drug is moderate and it can affect the consumers in
many ways
b. The argument on whether or not marijuana should be legalized is becoming more
of an up roar because the U.S. Congress is debating whether or not to legalize it.
c. Medical marijuana has a great amount of benefits and may be better than other
alternative medicines, but does have many risk factors.
d. They don’t want to make the wrong decisions for the U.S. as a whole