Quote:
Tyler Schmidt
CAPP Speech
May 22, 2007
General Purpose Statement: To persuade the class through my speech.
Exact Purpose Statement: To persuade the class that decriminalizing cannabis would be beneficial to society.
Introduction:
I. Hemp is most versatile plant known to man
A. Chemical free paper
1. More durable
2. More environmentally safe
B. Medicine
1. "Panaceas" or "cure-all" medicine
2. Multiple Sclerosis
3. Cancer
4. Aids
5. Glaucoma
6. Depression
7. Asthma
8. Other severe pains
C. Unfortuneately, U.S. legally doesn't allow the production of cannabis hemp
D. I believe cannabis hemp should be decriminalized in the U.S.
1. Facts about marijuana smoking reveal that it's relatively harmless
2. Decrease drug-related crimes/financial effects
3. Decrease in drug usage by minors
Body:
I. First, health effects of cannabis usage
A. Study in 1997 that was published in American Journal of Public Health
1. Over 10 years, contained over 65,000 men and women
2. Some never used, some did sometimes, others daily
3. No difference in the death rate
4. Conversely, mortality rates of cannabis users was lower than that of cigarette smokers and alcohol cosumers, both legal substances.
5. 3rd study done that shows cannabis poses few health risks
B. This study and others show...
1. Some risk with smoking in general
2. Option of the individual of whether or not they want to smoke
3. Minimal health risks compared to other forms of smoking, govt. should not be able to control what individual puts into his or her own body.
C. Tobacco, a legal substance, contains nicotine
1. Physically addictive
2. Produces many harmful carcenogens
D. Cannabis, contains no nicotine
1. Contains no physically addictive substances
E. The active chemical in the cannabis plant, THC, acts as bronchial dialator
1. beneficial to asthma patients
2. Acts as cough drop, aids in clearance of smoke and dirt from lungs
3. Nicotine acts opposite ways, bunches up lungs
F. Doesn't it cause brain damage?
1. No study every completed to prove cell damage, stupidity, or mental impairment
2. This doesn't say it can't be abused
G. But, what can't be abused?
1. Internet
2. Alcohol, Caffine, Cigarettes
3. McDonalds
H. So safe, absolutely impossible to overdose on cannabis use.
1. According to quote found at cannabis.com from a DEA Judge, "Marijuana is the safest therapeutically active substance known to mankind."
II. The U.S. government forgoes tremendous profit opportunities as well as increases crime and public safety risks by keeping cannabis an illegal substance.
A. NORML, costs taxpayers over $10 billion to currently enforce cannabis laws
1. NORML also states government could profit anywhere from $2.2-$6.4 billion a year
2. Positive swing in revenue of up to $16.4 billion
B. Focus on link between crime and drug usage, to solve we must focus on why
1. If someone wanted to buy some marijuana for personal use...no legal way of doing so
2. Under the table, go through someone, who goes through someone, who goes through someone.
3. None of these transactions would be considered legal.
4. If one group steals from another, the group can't go to the police because the cannabis itself is illegal
5. Usually result in crime violence and murders
6. Underground black markets profit off of governments stubburness on marijuana.
7. Billions of dollars a year are put into black market organizations for marijuana alone, no other way to get it.
C. Drug related crime revolving around marijuana are not due to users, but law itself
1. Government decriminalized it, and regulate it, money would not go to crime, but to the defecit.
D. Taxpayers spend between 7.5-10 billion a year to prosecute individuals for cannabis violations
1. 90% of these convictions, simple possession convictions, nothing else wrong
E. 60,000 individuals in jail for cannabis related offenses
1. FBI, more amercians arrested for 5th common criminal offense, marijuana offenses, than total number of arrests for violent crimes combined including: assault, murder, robbery, and rape.
2. If legalized, focus on murderers and rapists, rather than petty cannabis convictions.
F. Since 1991, use among adults has remained steady
1. While number of arrests has increased
2. At same time number of heroin and cocaine arrests have fallen by 30%
3. Where are countries priorities?
G. Decriminalization will decrease crime and increase government profits.
III. Cannabis is often referred to as the "Gateway Drug." There are many reasons as to why it is not.
A. There are over 40 million people nationwide who have used cannabis for a period in their life according to cannabis.com
1. Coincidence that there are not 10's of millions of herion users...
B. Reverse tolerance
1. Longer a person has been smoking, less they need
2. don't get "bored" and look for harder drugs
3. Keeps users from doing harder drugs
C. Another Gateway theory says, marijuana is the source of the drug subculture and leads to other drugs through that culture.
1. Marijuana does not create the drug subculture, the drug subculture uses marijuana
2. There are many marijuana users who are not a part of the subculture
D. Could reduce use of illicit drugs
1. Casual user has to go to dealers that probably deal with other harder drugs, might use them
2. This means it is the laws themselves rather than user's fault
3. If legal, the drug markets would be separated
E. Biggest fear of legalization is that everybody would start using it
1. Proven that legalization actually creates a decrease in usage.
2. Study by British Journal of Phsyciatry, showed that 33% Americans 12 and older have tried.
3. However, in the Netherlands, legal, only 16% have tried
4. Less than half
F. In US, Cannabis is listed among the same level as...
1. Cocaine, heroin, opium, crystal meth, LSD, crack, acid, exctasy, and many other hard drugs.
2. Netherlands however, listed with drugs such as alcohol and tobacco.
G. U.S. is basically telling cannabis users they are no different from someone who uses cocaine.
1. If U.S. separated cannabis from hard drugs, it would result in decrease in use of hard drugs
Conclusion:
I. Cannabis is most misunderstood plant on planet
A. Facts prove cannabis to be practically harmless
1. Rather tell my child the truth and let them make a mature decision when reach appropriate age.
B. U.S. wasting taxpayer dollars
1. Should be spent on more serious convictions
2. Letting potential huge profit of government regulation slip away
C. Wrongly labeling cannabis users as criminals
1. Most cannabis users are people who pay taxes, raise families, and are otherwise law abiding citizens.
2. Should not be labled as criminals to use marijuana responsibly in privacy of their own homes.
D. It's apparant that prohibition is worst action against a drug a government can take.
1. I encourage you to open mind to a new option
2. An option without lies forced upon you through dare and every other lie poured on to you since we were little kids.
E. Gotten somewhere in over 70 years of prohibition.
F. I leave you with a quote from President Jimmy Carter
1. "Penalties against drug use should not be more damaging to an individual than the use of the drug itself. Nowhere is this more clear than in the laws against the possession of marijuana in private for personal use."
