RCL Blog 2022

Topic – Legalization of medical marijuana to reduce prescription drugs in medicine

Purpose – Reveal that addiction can happen to anyone (high functioning people/athletes, not just the stereotypical “junkie” on the street). Emphasize the importance of reducing the use of prescription drugs in medicine and highlight how medical marijuana is a more viable treatment option in some cases.

Thesis Statement – While states have made great strides to legalize medical marijuana and medical professionals have made the effort to implement it into medicine, prescription drugs still dominate medical treatment. As long as the federal government classifies all forms of marijuana as Schedule 1 drugs, the potential benefits of the drug are limited.

Introduction – 

Attention Grabber – Begin with my personal anecdote about how my grandmother became addicted to prescription drugs after she had an accident on the boardwalk. As a child I never noticed, but when I got older there was no hiding it anymore and things of the past began to piece together. My grandmother’s addiction led to kidney failure and after a long battle on dialysis, she passed on January 23, 2018. Before she passed, my mom used medical marijuana to treat my grandmother and ease her pain; however, it was too late. This sparked my mom’s dedication to investing her time to become a part owner of two medical marijuana dispensaries.

Body – 

Main Point – Marijuana is stigmatized due to racial and prejudiced views of users, which hinders people’s acceptance of the drug as helpful 

• Support

• • Discuss the racial history with marijuana and Mexican immigration as well as crime. 
• Support
  • Include statistics and a specific instance where medical marijuana was a successful treatment method rather than just a street drug

Main Point – Painkillers are highly addictive in comparison to marijuana and are not sustainable for long-term use

• Support

• • • Athletes who have repeated injury often fall to addiction or abuse of painkillers. Discuss sports league barriers with medical marijuana

• Support

• • Talk about long-term illness such as cancer, Crohn’s, or HIV and how marijuana is a more effective treatment

Main Point – Our country does not receive the full benefits of medical marijuana because of federal regulation.

• Support

• • • Explain what it means to be a schedule 1 drug and convey how marijuana is different than the other drugs that it is classified with

• Support

• • Provide the benefits that come from full legalization versus the current standing of legalization on a state-by-state basis.

Conclusion – It is evident that prescription drugs are a flawed medical treatment. With the possibility of medical marijuana as a replacement, perhaps we can reduce the prescription of painkillers and slowly combat addiction that stems from injury or illness. While this change must happen incrementally, we must take small steps towards federal legalization of medical marijuana in order to see profound benefits.

Slide 1 Visual – Show a visual of my grandmother pictured next to some homeless person and ask a rhetorical question about who is presumed to be the addict.

Slide 2 Visual – Put the most important statistic on this slide so the audience can visualize it rather than just hear it

Slide 3 Visual – Image connecting prescription drug abuse with athletes

Slide 4 Visual – Image portraying public opinion statistics on federal legalization of marijuana

For my paradigm shift essay, I am going to explore the shift in attitudes toward medical marijuana, specifically as a substitute for prescription drugs and harmful narcotics. In my Ted talk I plan to share my own personal anecdote about how my grandmother abused painkillers, which eventually led to my mom’s involvement in the medical marijuana industry. For my research paper, the time frame will date back to the mid 1800s where marijuana was used for therapeutic and medical purposes, to the 1900s where it was outlawed and taboo, all the way to the present day where we are becoming more open to the controversial topic. I seek to highlight the possibilities for marijuana in medicine and the other benefits that legalization has for our country. I want to criticize prescription drugs assigned by doctors and distinguish marijuana from the other schedule one drugs that it is currently classified with.

 

This shift is very close to me because of the personal anecdote that I mentioned above. Prescription drugs and opioids bring more harm than good and are a highly addictive substance. I believe there is hope for medical marijuana being a replacement for prescription drugs and support further research to investigate the short and long term effects. I watched someone in my family go through addiction while trying to treat chronic pain and I am optimistic that there are other treatment options out there. This shift needs to be more explored and understood because it is less about the legalization of this drug and more about investigating further and being open to alternatives for current narcotics. Furthermore, marijuana is currently classified with other highly addictive and dangerous substances, yet has not been deadly in the ways the other schedule one drugs have. With changing attitudes among the youth, politicians, and medical professionals, it is important to recognize the flaws in the current prescription drug standing and explore the potential that medical marijuana has.

• • https://www.mpp.org/issues/medical-marijuana/effective-arguments-medical-marijuana-advocates/
    • This source highlights medical marijuana advocates’ arguments for why medical marijuana should be used. The website includes sub tabs, including a “newsroom” that features articles and press releases that further elaborate on the use of medical marijuana as a substitute for pain pills.
  • https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2711509/
    • Walks through the history of opioid use and dives into the idea of “chronic pain” and how opioids are used to treat it. Furthermore, this source explores addiction with narcotics and how opioids can treat pain in a safe manner. 
  • https://www.ncsl.org/research/health/state-medical-marijuana-laws.aspx

• This resource explains the current standings with states and their medical marijuana policies, since it is still illegal on the federal level. Most importantly, at the bottom of this article are links to other important research regarding the safety of medical marijuana and its benefits to our society.

• https://globalsportmatters.com/health/2020/11/17/cannabis-changing-perceptions-attitudes-policies/
  • This source is very relevant to the topic of shifting attitudes towards medical marijuana because it takes the approach from the sports world where drug abuse is very prevalent.
  • https://globalsportmatters.com/health/2019/04/03/cbd-solution-nfls-opioid-use/
    • This article from the same website goes hand in hand with discussing how CBD can aid the issues with opioid abuse, specifically in the NFL
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5422566/
  • This article delves into how prescription drugs are increasingly being replaced as medical marijuana enters the treatment field.
• https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2020-06/Marijuana-Cannabis-2020_0.pdf
• https://www.fda.gov/news-events/public-health-focus/fda-and-cannabis-research-and-drug-approval-process
• https://commons.emich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1633&context=honors
  • All of these sources can be used to dissect how attitudes on medical marijuana have changed and where the original ideas started and how they have evolved since.
• https://iop.harvard.edu/survey/details/political-issue-marijuana
• https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/11/14/americans-support-marijuana-legalization/
• https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Dionne-Galston_NewPoliticsofMJLeg_Final.pdf
  • These three sources get more into the facts, stats, and politics of why people either support or reject legalization of marijuana and how the attitudes have shifted amongst different demographics.
• https://www.sydney.edu.au/lambert/medicinal-cannabis/history-of-cannabis.html#:~:text=The%20use%20of%20cannabis%20originated,father%20of%20Chinese%20medicine)%20pharmacopoeia.

Introduction Paragraph(s):

• Introduce the Police Badge and discuss the divisiveness surrounding the topic of law enforcement and police brutality
  • Address the controversy, which is how some view the police as honorable and feel safe around them (conservatives), while others feel unsafe around the police (minorities) and desire reform (liberals)
• Address the fact that there is room for improvement and change within the system
  • Police will not be seen as weaker for reforming their flawed institution
    • This will transition to talking about achieving change for the greater good
• Introduce the second artifact, which is the Guinness commercial
  • Give context (aired during the start of the pandemic pre Saint Patty’s Day when schools just shut down)
• Thesis: In Guinness’ Saint Patrick’s Day message, the company promotes public health and safety during unprecedented times while simultaneously advertising their product. Through the use of imagery, personal pronouns, and repetition this commercial facilitates strong emotional appeals that emphasize the importance of community and togetherness during divisive times, which strengthens the image and reputation of the Guinness brand.

Body Paragraphs

1. Discuss stereotypes about the irish and beer in general (commonplaces)
   1. Aggression, drunk/dangerous, but instead this brand diverts from normal generalizations and makes a sappier commercial
   2. Include how Saint Patty’s is a major drinking event and Guinness is consumed in large amounts surrounding this holiday
   3. They had the option to encourage people to go out and drink together, but instead took the ethical approach and discussed the history of Guinness and how they are here to stay (making them a trusted brand)
   4. Prioritize the health and safety of others in uncertain times rather than their profit
      1. Give stats on how many people were infected with Covid and died post saint patty’s day
      2. Discuss the influence that large brands like this company have and how they used their platform in a positive way
2. Analyze how the commercial includes people of all different races, genders, ethnicities to show all different groups coming together around this brand (Mention the irish flags in the background too since this is mainly targeted at those who planned to celebrate the holiday
   1. Talk about the divide between people during this time
   2. Mask or not… believing in covid or not (still divided pre vaccines)
   3.  Mention the irish flags in the background too
   4. Builds credibility by bringing in all different people who support the brand
3. Analyze the personal pronouns used in the commercial “We” “you” etc and discuss their impact
   1. Take direct quotes from the commercial
   2. Addresses commonplaces associated Saint Patty’s Day starting with a beer, then corned beef, but when gets to parade they pause
      1. “Don’t worry, we’ll march again”
      2. “We’re all human”
      3. The company addresses the current state of the world and encourages people to do what they are comfortable with, such as call a friend or family member (celebrate safely)
   3. Raise a pint of Guinness and raise each other 
      1. Incorporates brand name repeatedly

Conclusion

• Wrap up how Guinness had a choice to make in lieu of the pandemic
• Discuss the outcome of their decision and allude to the broader idea of diverting from the norm or familiar territory
• Mention the discomforts associated with change and how sometime it is necessary to “rebrand” in order to put the community over self/company-interest

Works Cited

​​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWVW5p62sO8 (Guinness Commercial)

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-usa-parade/new-york-citys-st-patricks-day-parade-canceled-on-coronavirus-concern-idUSKBN20Z0DA (Discusses parade cancellations in lieu of Covid 19 and how this impacts Guinness: the number one drunken beer for the holiday)

https://www.history.com/news/st-patricks-day-facts (Includes facts and stereotypes surrounding Saint Patty’s Day, Irish people, and Beer)

https://www.cdc.gov/museum/timeline/covid19.html (Covid 19 timeline that shows what was going on in the world around this time, which is March 2020)

https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2020-57186-001 

https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2021/06/23/people-in-advanced-economies-say-their-society-is-more-divided-than-before-pandemic/ (This source and the one above highlight the divisiveness and lack of community during these uncertain times)

 

An individual obtains their police badge after graduating the academy. A badge is beneficial to policemen because it recognizes them as part of the force and their future career path. Communities also benefit from this artifact because the police are meant to keep people safe by enforcing the law and instilling fear for illegal action. Badges are necessary because they represent a sense of authority and identity. For example, when police respond to a situation, ordinary people do not blindly obey requests until they see a uniform accompanied by a badge. The badge signifies trust that you can obey orders from the official. However, the need for this artifact has changed overtime. While a badge is still used to identify an officer, recently the media and younger generations express desire for less people to behold badges. In the past, people felt a greater sense of safety when there was a larger police presence in communities. The artifact is now controversial, as the police force is criticized for their lack of training and inherent bias against African American and Latino communities, since these areas are heavily policed. To older generations, the police embody dedication, commitment to service, and respect. While some younger folk hold the police in high regard, it is more common that this group view the police force as an overfunded and corrupt institution. 

A police badge represents commonplaces such as service, community, authority, and safety. On the other hand, police badges are embedded with racial biases that are commonplace in America, specifically in the justice system. Commonplace phrases associated with the police badge include “defund the police” and “back the blue,” which sheds light on the conflicting perspectives of what it means to possess a badge.This artifact is civic because earning a badge highlights an individual who engages in civic acts every day to protect their community. People do not risk their lives every day to become police officers for the salary, but rather they are dedicated to serving their community. 

 

Identity comes in a variety of forms whether it be your nationality, gender, or an ideology that resonates with you. Perhaps the most basic form of identity is your name because it represents who you physically are. When Coca-Cola kickstarted their Share a Coke campaign, identity was at the forefront of their attempt to connect with their customers. Coca-Cola utilizes commonplaces, such as your name to persuade people to buy their product. While everyone possesses a name, each one is a unique component of who someone is, which is highlighted in the campaign. The commercial begins with a girl, Jess, peering down at her monogram necklace. She proceeds to find a coke bottle that also has her name on it. Coke strategically appeals to a person’s identity to encourage individuals to identify with their brand. The commercial captures the excitement present when finding your name on a bottle in a store. You are drawn to buy that object because it is calling out to you and is more personalized, rather than an ordinary bottle of coke.

Furthermore, not every Share a Coke has a name written on it, but some have broader terms like family, friends, and classmates. This illustrates how Coke has gone beyond identifying with one specific person, but instead brings together whole communities with their product. Additionally, Coke may have realized how their name-specific labels do not reach as large an audience because they cannot account for every single name there is. For example, it is likely that the name Michael will be included on a Share a Coke, but what if your name is Beatrice or an ethnic name? For those whose names may not be considered when creating a coke bottle, Coke limits their feelings of ostracization through the more general labels. Customers can still relate to terms regarding friendship, family, and community. In doing so, Coke persuades groups to buy their product for larger gatherings where the community can indulge together. The ad highlights how food, and more specifically, drinks are commonplace at community events further showing how their product is at the center of laughter, enjoyment, and community.