Informative Speech The Medical Properties of Marijuana

This naturally occurring plant is believed to have originated in the Himalayan Mountains. Today, Medical Marijuana is regulated to an extent and has helped many people suffering from symptoms of various medical ailments. B. Rapport (Show the audience how they can relate to your topic): Raise your hand if you have used marijuana and are familiar with its effects. [PAUSE] So, we can all find it conceivable that there could be some medical use for it, right? Marijuana is a medical option for anyone who has cannabinoid receptors in their brain.

Who has cannabinoid receptors in their brain? Good question; The truth is, we all do. Inside all of our brains are receptors that make it possible to successfully receive and process marijuana. These receptors are conveniently located in the basal ganglia, the hippocampus, and the cerebellum. The locations of these receptors are interesting because they are located in the parts of the brain that are responsible for creating feelings of euphoria, relaxation, and hunger, the same feelings that THC produces.

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So the receptors are almost there in order to “Receive help” if those parts of the brain need it. Which must be really nice for the other parts of the brain to see because like, they’re the only ones with a back-up-plan. (THC and cannabinoid properties are discussed in further detail in the body of my speech) Credibility (Establish and briefly explain how you are credible to give information on this topic): I was raised by doctors.

So, as you can imagine, my house is filled with medical books.

I have been able to access the most cutting-edge medical data on this topic. So take me seriously! It’s not as if I went to “imapothead.com” or something. The majority of the information I am giving you is from the following sources: My 1st source comes from Dr. Daniele Poimelli’s “Cannabinoids” article from the ACAM (American College for Advancement in Medicine) conference on Neurorestoration. My 2nd source comes from - Gerald Gianutsos and his article, "Medical Marijuana: Therapeutic Uses and Legal Status." on Uspharmacist.com.

My 3rd source of information is from an article I found on rxmarijuana.com: "Marijuana and Epilepsy by Tim and Pattie Shellman." The rest of my sources are listed in my bibliography. Bridge (Transition into the body of your topic): Today, I will discuss the five main factors to understanding marijuana’s role in medicine: 1) Overview of Marijuana 2) Symptoms Treated. 3) Specific modes of administration. 4) Benefits of use. 5) Risks to use.

II. Body:

Transition: In order to become familiar with the medical impact of marijuana, we must first have an overview of the plant and its psychoactive ingredient

A. Overview of Marijuana and it’s chemical actions:

Humans initially cultivated and utilized the cannabis plant to make different kinds of fabric for years. Its psychoactive properties remained unknown until Napoleon’s troops came back from Egypt and reported of peculiar psychotropic experiences. After this discovery, many insights to the plant began to unravel and it was soon introduced to the medical community.

After a very time-consuming research process, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinoil (THC) was isolated from the Cannabis plant much like Morphine was isolated from The Poppy. The psychoactive properties of THC were easily recognized, however, because of the drug’s unique chemical structure, its mechanism of action was a mystery.

More research was done. As it turns out, THC has a very surprising mechanism of action: THC-sensitive sites in the human brain! This means that THC and these receptors bind together like the last two pieces of a puzzle. The process of THC being accepted by cannabinoid receptors is a TWO KEY SYSTEM: At each receptor terminal, there are 2 cannabinoid receptors. Let’s call them CB1 and CB2. CB1 is (in summary) the receptor that creates the “high” associated with the drug. But, CB2 is the receptor that will ultimately unleash THC’s medical benefits.

The obstacle is this: CB2 is locked up inside of the cell. CB1 is sitting on the cell wall. This means that in order to reach CB2, we first have to unlock CB1. So, they go hand-in-hand, like a package deal. Right now, scientists are researching and trying to find a way to unlock CB2 without unlocking CB1, this would make it possible to feel the medical advantage of marijuana, without feeling that inebriating high.

That research is a work in progress and will hopefully be successful someday. Until then, THC binds with both cannabinoid receptors and activates neurons. This creates cognitive changes in the brain and physical changes in the body. These changes are helpful in the event that the brain/body experience complications to its natural flow.

Transition: Now that we are familiar with the plant and its medical properties, let’s take a look at the specific symptoms it can be used to treat

B. Symptoms treated

1. Pain Management
2.Nausea
3.Appetite Stimulant
4. Epileptic Seizures
Transition: Now that we have an idea of what disease treatments marijuana can assist with, we can now take a look at the different options available for taking the medication.

C. Specific modes of administration.

a.Smoke inhalation
b.Vapor inhalation
c.Tincture/Topical Oils
d.Tonic/Drinkable Liquids
e.Oral ingestion/Food & Pill Forms

Transition: Now that we have a general understanding of the plant’s medical potential and delivery methods, we can continue to the specifics of the drug.

D.Benefits of use

1. Pain associated with carpel-tunnel, arthritis, and other ailments that induce chronic pain

2. Insomnia associated with sleep disorders

3. Panic Attacks associated with anxiety disorders
4. Nausea and Loss of Appetite associated with Cancer and Chemotherapy 5. Seizures associated with Epilepsy

Transition: Now that we are familiar with the medical benefits of marijuana, we can take a look at the risks associated with usage.
Risks of Use
1. Increased Tolerance
2. Psychological Dependence
3. Respiratory Disturbances
4. Adverse Effects
5. Drug Interactions

Conclusion:
After this brief overview of marijuana’s medical properties, uses, and modes of administration, along with the benefits and risks of its use, you should have a better understanding of the significance of marijuana in treating diseases and managing symptoms. So, the next time you hear discussions involving the “evils” of medical marijuana, you may want to ask yourself how evil the utilization of a naturally occurring plant in an effort to combat human suffering really is.