Chemotherapy Informative Speech

Imagine for a moment if you will. A woman in her 50’s sitting in a recliner on a hot July day with the windows closed, blinds drawn with the heat on. She is dressed in layers, covered in blankets. She is freezing in July. She has her sister put a few ice chips in her mouth so they will melt slowly. She will not drink anything in fear of vomiting. She has not eaten in days. The smell of food makes her nauseated. Yet she craves a milkshake. She sits in her recliner twitching in pain as a few tears gently run down her face. It hurts too much to move. She is given pain medicine every four hours. It does not help. She second guesses having chemotherapy. Medical marijuana can enhance an individual’s quality of life. A few years ago my aunt was diagnosed with an inoperable brain cancer. She went through radiation and chemotherapy. It did not work. The side effects were horrendous. No one should ever

(Rabinski, 2015)

The Huffington Post listed the many economic advantages of legalizing medical marijuana in the story “14 Ways Marijuana Legalization Could Boost the Economy” (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/07/marijuana-economy-14-reasons_n_2089107.html).
Some of the surprising benefits include:
• $13.7 billion saved on prohibition enforcement costs
• Estimated $500 million in tax revenue for Washington State
• Estimated $60 million saved by Colorado legalization
• Legalization could reduce marijuana prices
• Huge prison cost savings (for prisoners on marijuana-related charges)
• Marijuana prohibition costs taxpayers $41.8 billion a year
• California marijuana crop worth $14 billion a