For my TED talk, I will do the format of going back and forth from what it is now and what it could be. I think it will work well for how I have started to write and research.
My intro will talk about what marijuana is and how it can be used, such as smoked, eaten, different strengths, etc.
I will then go into my first “past” moment talking about how previous thoughts were that marijuana is bad for health, even worse than meth or crack.
Next, I will go into my “current” section and talk bout how we know weed is not nearly as bad as previously thought, and in fact, it has some positive impacts. I might go into how it is considered a level one drug in court, meaning that if you are caught with weed and convicted, you will spend more time in jail than someone with any other hard drug.
My second topic is about the impact on mental health. It is similar to my first section, but I feel like there is enough information that it needs to be its section. I will talk about the “past” thoughts of what weed did to mental health, including the stigma created by people.
In my present section, I will talk about the current knowledge found on mental health benefits and downfalls.
My third topic will be the legalization of weed. The “past” section will be about how weed was not legal in any state at all and the benefits/downfalls.
In my “present section, I will talk about the states where weed is currently legal and the current argument on what should happen with the legalization.
My conclusion will talk about the overall benefits and downfalls and whether the current legalization of marijuana is good.
I am open to suggestions as to whether this is a good organization or not; I want to keep the health’s together because that only makes sense. But I’m not sure whether the jail time part should be its own thing or maybe with the legalization in states.
My visuals will include the states it is currently legal to smoke marijuana in, the different types of weed, a chart of drug offenses in the legal system, and probably some pictures of weed in various forms.
I really like your outline, and I really like how it follows the “what it is now” to the “what it can be” path. I like how you break your topic into three main parts and examine each of the changes within that topic. I think the jail time part works where it is right now, but you could also maybe bring that topic back up in the call-to-action and say that with all of the changing views on marijuana, maybe it’s time to reassess past cases and make changes to the legal system. I think this is really well organized, and can’t wait to see how your TED talk comes together!
I really enjoy your switch between what is now and what an ideal execution would look like. By showing that contrast, it highlights our shortcomings and gives potential solutions that are realistic.
I wasn’t sure if you changed your mind while you were writing this or if it was just unclear to me, but I can’t tell if you are switching between what is and what can be, or what happened in the past compared to the present. I think they are both great formats, especially because you need the past to understand the present, but you need the “what could be” in order to better argue your point and give a concrete call to action. I think it would be cool to incorporate all 3 perspectives. The flow and almost storytelling would make for a super engaging talk. I loved watching your ideas develop and I can’t wait to see what you do with this already super strong outline!!