Speech on Marijuana Legalization free essay sample

A well-known issue, right now, in the USA is that of the legalization of marijuana. This controversial topic is on the minds of our entire country. Whether or not to legalize marijuana has been a nation wide debate for years. In this informative speech I will be discussing only facts and opinions. Opinions and facts will come from organizations such as The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, Marijuana Legalization Organization and the Drug Policy Alliance. Marijuana Legalization is an issue because there are so many individuals using the substance illegally. These individuals feel that Marijuana is not a harmful substance and can serve to profit states that legalize it. The biggest concern on everyone’s mind is that of health risks. Most people feel that it is in the best interest of the nation for marijuana to remain illegal. Marijuana Legalization Organization states that that is not entirely true. â€Å"Health considerations provide arguments to avoid excessive use of marijuana, but ultimately each individual should be allowed the personal freedom to decide whether or not to use marijuana. (MLO) In their opinion, as with anything taken in excess, marijuana is only harmful to those who choose to use it. The example used in MLO is that of an excess amount of unhealthy food. â€Å"[N]umerous studies have shown that foods with a lot of cholesterol and fat are unhealthy. Should we outlaw bacon? †(MLO) The thought is that instead we need to educate individuals and let people make their own decisions as we do with things like fatty foods, cigarettes and Alcohol. â€Å"A recent survey of research found that long term marijuana use did not have a significant effect on cognitive abilities. The report was published in the July 2003 Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society. † This is also stated in the list of facts about marijuana on the Drug Policy Alliance Website. They state that, not only are there no long-term cognitive impairment but, â€Å"[m]arijuana has been proven helpful for treating the symptoms of a variety of medical conditions. † Medical marijuana has proven to be of significant relief for cancer, glaucoma, and aids patients as well as individuals that suffer from neurological disorders. While there are the medical reliefs from the use of Medical marijuana, but DPA also states that the substance has not shown cause of mental illness or to increase risk to cancer. The next claim is that Marijuana is a gateway drug. Webster defines a gateway drug to be â€Å"a drug (as alcohol or marijuana) whose use is thought to lead to the use of and dependence on a harder drug (as cocaine or heroin)†( http://www. merriam-webster. com/) â€Å"Some people claim that using marijuana will make you want to use other drugs, like heroin, cocaine, LSD, amphetamines, and ecstasy. They argue that marijuana acts as a stepping-stone, or a gateway, that leads people to harder drugs. They support their argument with statistics that show that most people who use hard drugs have tried marijuana before. † (MLO) â€Å"There is no conclusive evidence that the effects of marijuana are causally linked to the subsequent use of other illicit drugs. Preliminary animal studies alleging that marijuana primed the brain for other drug-taking behavior have not been replicated, nor are they supported by epidemiological human data. Statistically, for every 104 Americans who have tried marijuana, there is only one regular user of cocaine, and less than one user of heroin. Marijuana is clearly a terminus rather than a gateway for the overwhelming majority of marijuana smokers. † (norml) MLO states â€Å"In essence, the link between marijuana and other illegal drugs stems from the fact that they are illegal. Because they are illegal, marijuana and other drugs are only available on the black market, and anyone who enters the drug market is likely to be exposed to more than one drug. The solution is simple: by legalizing and regulating marijuana sales, we will eliminate the connection to hard drugs. † (MLO) They use Holland as an example. â€Å"In Holland, where politicians decided over 25 years ago to separate marijuana from the illicit drug market by permitting coffee shops all over the country to sell small amounts of marijuana to adults, individuals use marijuana and other drugs at rates less than half of their American counterparts. † (norml. rg) The argument is that, if marijuana were not illegal it would not be a problem. The DPA website states that the majority of the individuals that use marijuana never even use any other illicit drugs. This statement disproves that common misconception about marijuana being a gateway drug. Finally my sources argue that keeping marijuana illegal it is costing more than necessary. MLO claims that â€Å"Cost of keeping marijuana illegal = cost of active law enforcement + cost of prosecution (and defense! of a ccused offenders + cost of incarceration of convicted offenders + hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue that would be generated if drugs were legal and taxed + cost of foster care and social services for children of incarcerated offenders. † â€Å"Washington state would save about $105 million a year if marijuana were legally regulated, according to University of Washington Economics professor Dick Startz. † â€Å"The US Federal Government Spends More Than $12 Billion Per Year on Drug Control Programs. Federal drug control budgets do not separate spending by drug, so we there is not a precise figure available for the amount that is spent on marijuana alone. Also, these figures do not include any spending by state or local governments, which are likely to be substantial since state police, courts, and prisons are constantly busy dealing with marijuana offenses. † They also state that â€Å"US Marijuana Crop Estimated to Be Worth Over $35 Billion. A new statistical analysis indicates that marijuana is Americas most valuable cash crop. If these figures are even close to the truth, a logical system to regulate and tax marijuana would produce billions of dollars in revenue every year. † According to DPA, the fight that the United States is having against drugs in all is costing $51,000,000,000. They also stated that if California would profit annually an estimated $1,400,000,000 if marijuana were taxed and regulated. There are only two major solutions to this issue; to Legalize or not to legalize that is the question. Legalization could stand to earn the US economic growth but it could also lead to even more people using or abusing the substance. Keeping it illegal could have the government spending money that they don’t necessarily need to spend to regulate the use of this substance or this could be positive a by keeping individuals from abusing it. Only time will tell! Does anyone have any questions?

Forced Labor and Free Enterprise on Sugar Plantations Created a Feudal and Capitalism Society

Public Speaking Essay Example

Public Speaking Essay Example Public Speaking Essay Public Speaking Essay Essay Topic: Public Speaking Name: Instructor: Course: Date: Introduction Impact of loss of parents on their children Life would be remarkably different if we all lost both parents simultaneously. I lost both my father and mother when I was 22 in a tragic car accident. My experience in life after the accident lasted over two years before I was fully recovered. In this period, I have made new friends, acquaintances and contacts that have proven useful later in life. In my time trying to come to terms with the reality, I have also made many decisions that have been successful. All these achievements have been made possible through persistence, friendship and hard work. Apart from academic success, the loss has contributed significantly to my increased awareness of the value of long life. Parents are a guiding and supporting factor and thus, they hold the key to either the success or failure of their children. Children develop physical and emotional bonds with their parents from birth to adulthood and the loss of one or both parents weighs heavily on the lives of the children left behind in terms of t he financial burden and the loneliness The loss of parents exposes children to new perspectives concerning their livelihood, family and sustenance. Most survivors of such losses react negatively to the new conditions where the parents are absent from their lives. I managed my situation by openly welcomed any opportunity to meet new academicians, further my knowledge and improve on what I already know. Personally, the loss has made me take on new challenges that have been entertaining as well as educative. The loss of parents is difficult in that it gives the added challenge of living without people for companionship, support and encouragement. Outline Introduction Have you ever wondered where you would be without your parents? I. Discussion on how people lived with parents before their loss II. The effect of loss of parents on personal and professional life of children III. The importance of parents in the life of an individual Transition: Give examples of how parents influence the lives of a child. Body I. Psychological, emotional and physical changes in being an orphan A. The type of life led prior to the loss of parents. B. Events leading to parents’ death and the subsequent orphan status C. Life after loss of parents Transition: My parents’ influence on my personal life II. The effect of the car accident on personal and professional life A. Personal affects that lack of parents has on me. B. Professional affects that lack of parents has on me C. My reactions to these differences in the lifestyle without parents Transition: Giving a summary on the importance of parents III. Discuss the importance of parents. A. Guides, advices and consoles you through difficult or challenging times B. Provides financial and moral support Conclusion: I. I discussed with you on how my parents died in a car accident. II. I have explained how the loss had an impact on my life. II. I will finish by discussing the significance of parents in the lives of individuals.

Book - The Police in America 8 edition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Book - The Police in America 8 edition - Essay Example Consequently, college-educated law enforcers exhibit less abuse of their authority. On the contrary, they support compliance to the set rules and regulations of police practice. Police abuse authority of authority can take varied forms ranging from brutality, verbal attacks or legal abuse. Legal abuse refers to violation of constitutional rights of citizens, for instance, conducting a search without a warrant (illegal search). Empirical studies offer varied kinds of explanations related to education, which include psychological, sociological and organizational factors (McCoy, 2009). Empirical research depicts police officers to be flexible, adaptive, open-minded, receptive and empathetic. College-educated officers depicted higher intelligence, greater motivation and greater self-esteem. Moreover, they portrayed greater academic excellence, efficiency in police training academy, improved assessments and appraisal ratings. Well-educated officers score high grades in promotional examinations and were accorded more promotions. In terms of behavior on duty, these officers had lower confrontational and absenteeism rates (Steverson, 2008). Moreover, they took less sick-time off, depicted few disciplinary cases, and showed less constant complaints. In terms of service to citizens, college-educated officers recorded fewer cases of police brutality and excessive use of force (Walker, 34). In addition, insignificant portions of the population pressed charges for harassment. In all their duties, college-educated officers received few dismissals, if any. Contrary to less-educated officers who received more disparagement from youths, college educated officers cope well with the youthful generation. Perhaps citizens accord fewer complaints to college-educated officers. Actually, locals are more expressive of pride in services offered by these officers. During operations, college-educated officers

Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 11

Psychology - Essay Example This general wish has to be narrowed down so that I am able to focus within psychology studies on my particular strengths and interests. It is also necessary that I understand the level to which I need to qualify myself through study in order to do what I would like to do in a future career. It is important to me now to be able to manage my time and to balance all the aspects of my life. The way I will be able to do this is to ensure I take care of myself physically, mentally and emotionally in times of stress. I want to ensure that my writing skills improve, so that I can clearly communicate the knowledge I am gaining, and the future research findings and results I hope to publish in this field. Another immediate goal is to learn as much as possible from my experiences here. I want to immerse myself fully in my studies, learning as much as I can. This will be possible only if I concentrate on building good communication between my peers and myself, as well as between my instructors and myself. Further, I want to engage fully with the writings and work of other people in the field of psychology. If I synthesize and understand as much of the work in the field as possible, on an ongoing basis, I will maintain current knowledge, continue to find new areas of interest, and gain skills throughout my studies and career. The research and findings of academics in the field of psychology, especially new findings and theories, are very interesting to me, and I would like to keep improving my ability to understand and assimilate such research, and its results. It is also important to me that I learn to research well – both the theory of how to research, and the skills and methods of research. One of my definite interests is Statistics, and I aim to increase my knowledge and understanding of Multivariate statistical methods as they are used in psychology.

About animal extinction Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

About animal extinction - Research Paper Example Presently, most of the species that are endangered such as the Black Rhino and the South China Tiger can blame the humans for their situation (World Wildlife Fund). This is because climate change, which has been affecting most species, was caused by humans. Currently, the planet is at the stage of mass extinction where many species are dying off. According to scientists, the planet is currently losing the largest number of species since the time of the dinosaurs, which is 65 years ago. In addition, between 30 and 50 species might become extinct by mid-century (The Extinction Crisis). When taking the issue of extinction into consideration, the dying-off of one species leads to other species also becoming extinct. This is because of the ecosystem balance, which changes when a certain species is wiped out of the system as species depend on each other for survival. Therefore, extinction of one species leads to another’s extinction. Generally, when a species cannot survive in its original inhabitant and cannot re-locate or adapt in the conditions of a new environment, it dies off. According to statistical data, the average lifespan of a species is approximately 10 million years (The Extinction Crisis). Extinction may occur suddenly e specially when another species that facilitated its existence becomes extinct or gradually over a long period. This can be referred to as the extinction debt where a species becomes extinct a very long time after an event that put its extinction process in motion. Within the previous 500 years, extinction of approximately 1,000 species has been experienced (The Extinction Crisis). However, this this does not account for the many species that have gone extinct even before scientists and researchers got the chance to fully understand and describe them. Specifically, not even the scientists have the exact figure of species that have gone extinct or those that are endangered. As estimation data

Quality of Nursing and Diversity

Quality of Nursing and Diversity Critically discuss how an understanding and application of the concepts of diversity, cultural competence and equality can help to improve the quality of nursing care in today’s diverse healthcare settings for a diverse service-user population The Office of National Statistics (2014) displays how the population of Britain is becoming increasingly diverse due to migration, with 560,000 people migrating to Britain between March 2013 and March 2014; a significant increase from 492,000 people in the previous 12 months. Globalisation; which is the increasing integration of economies and societies has a profound effect on migration and health. For example the ease of accessibility of borders for services and trade removes the boundaries for migration and increases the production and marketing of products such as tobacco which have an adverse effect on health (Wamala and Kawachi 2007). The increasing movement of countries into the European Union (EU) also removes the boundaries to migration as the European commission state that individuals who hold European citizenship have rights to free movement and residency within the EU(EU 2014). The acceleration of globalisation and the growth in migration means the NHS have to care for an increasingly diverse service-user population who have a range of health needs which presents many issues and challenges for nursing care. Blakemore (2013) recognised how research by Macmillan cancer support found that patients from Black minority ethnic (BME) groups experience increased challenges and poor treatment compared to white British cancer patients; such as lack of compassion and poor and ineffective communication. This is an example of how diverse groups can receive poor quality care and highlights the need for nurses to understand and apply the concepts of diversity, cultural competence and equality to evade this diminished care. This essay will explore, discuss and critique these concepts when looking at how they can improve the quality of nursing care in today’s diverse healthcare settings for a diverse service-user population. Diversity is defined by Dayer-berenson (2014) as the ‘individual differences of the human race’ which should be ‘accepted, respected, embraced and celebrated by society’. The differences encompass many factors such age, religion, ethnicity and sexual orientation, all which shape an individual to be unique. This definition however fails to acknowledge that differences exist within each unique factor. For example in ethnic groups; where although common characteristics such as language and origin are shared, differences within the ethnic group still do exist such the extent to which the individual practices their religion, and the culture to which the individual identifies to (Henley and Schott 1999). The National Health Service (NHS)(2011) expand on this definition by recognising that diversity includes ‘visible and non-visible’ differences. Recognition of this is important in clinical practice as non –visible differences such as values and beliefs will not be established unless nurses effectively communicate and assess there patients values, needs and prefences. This will prevent the assumption that all members of one ethnicity act as another as mentioned previously, and therefore avoid stereotyping. Henley and Schott (1999) recognise how stereotyping will result in inadequate nursing care as people distance themselves from those they see as different, causing them to have a lack of consideration and respect for the individual, thus diminishing care. Furthermore, when assessing the values and beliefs of diverse patients, nurses must avoid holding an ethnocentric attitude. Ethnocentrism is when people identify their own cultural ways as superior to others, creating an attitude that any other beliefs and values are wrong. This leads to inadequate care as other diverse beliefs, values and therefore needs; will be rendered as insignificant and may be ignored (Royal college of Nursing (RCN) 2014). Ethnocentric behaviour however is not always recognised by the individual and is therefore difficult to challenge, as through socialisation into their own cultural values and beliefs a viewpoint of what is ‘normal’ and ‘appropriate’ is created. This viewpoint is then used to often negatively judge diverse cultures that the individual comes across (Henley and Schott 1999). On the other hand Sharif (2012) views ethnocentrism as having a positive influence on healthcare in the United Kingdom. When looking at BME groups, South Asians are a high risk group for public health diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and chronic kidney disease. Sharif recognises the need for ethnocentric interventions to educate South Asian communities and to distinguish them as a group to further investigate the differences in epidemiology, pathophysiology and health outcomes. This view is opposed by The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)(2010) who state in their standards for pre-registration nurses that nurses must strive for culturally diverse nursing care by practicing as holistic, non-judgemental and sensitive nurses, avoiding assumption, recognising individual choice and acknowledging diversity. Therefore nurses must adhere to this code by avoiding stereotypical and ethnocentric attitudes which can be done through assessing and recognising patients as individuals. This will result in high quality care which is essential for a diverse service user population. Respecting individual patient diversity results in respecting equality which is the elimination of discrimination and disadvantage through respecting the rights of individuals and promoting equal opportunity for all. Nurses working within an organisation must comply to the Equality Act 2010 which protects 12 diverse characteristics such as age, disability and religon from discrimation and disadvantage (Equality and Human Rights Commison 2014). In healthcare this is done through the implementation of policies and guideance, however Talbot and Verrinder (2010) highlight how equality policies can express the need for patients to receive equal care regardless of characteristics and background. This ignores personal choice and therefore disregardards individuality and diversity; producing poor quality care. When looking at equality further nurses can promote equality through ensuring everyone has equal and full access to health care. It is recognised that BME patients have a poor uptake of healthcare services compared to white British patients for several reasons such as; language barriers, negative experiences and inadequate information (Henley and Schott 1999,Washington and Bowles et al 2008). Dayer-berenson (2014) however identifies that barriers to healthcare are not just due to racial factors but also socio-economic factors. Nimakok and Gunapala et al (2013) expand on this further by recognising that individuals from BME communities are more likely to be of poor socio-economic status than their white counterparts ; due to factors such as low income and poor housing quality. Nurses must therefore be in the position to promote equality through endorsing equal access to healthcare and complying to equality policies. This must be done whilist respecting individual patients and their di versity which produces culturally competenet nurses and thus high quality care for the diverse service user population. Cultural competence is defined by Papadopolus and Tilki et al. (2003) as the act of respecting the cultural differences of patients in order to provide effective and appropriate care. This is a brief definition which fails to include all aspects of being a culturally competent practicioner, which arguably involves more than respecting cultural differences which will later be explored (McClimens and Brewster et al. 2014). Leininger (1997) states that cultural competence is the goal of providing culturaly congruent, compent and compassionate care through holisticly looking at culture, health and illness patterns and respecting the similarities and differences in cultural values and beliefs.This definition fails to recognise that cultural competence Is never a completed goal but an ongoing process (Dean 2010), however it recognises the importance of looking at the similarties within cultures. This increases the nurses ability to understand and meet the patients full range of needs thus producing culturally competent care (Henley and Schott 1999). Cultural competent nursing care is essential for enusuring high quality care in the increasingly diverse service user population, with The NHS stating that it provides a comprenhesive service for all regardless of background and characteristcs and In consideration of each individuals human rights. Respect for equality and diversity are two important aspects of The NHS`s vison and values as highlighted in this statement; and through culturally competent care these values can be achieved (McClimens and Brewster et al. 2014, NHS 2014). Educating health care professionals on culturally competent care is therefore important with Hovat and Horey et al. (2014) looking at the effects of educational cultural competence interventions for healthcare proffesionals on healthcare outcomes. The review found that health behaviour such as concordance to treatment was improved however they also acknowledged that there quality of evidence was poor and that cultural competence is still a developing stratergy, therefore further research is needed to establish its effectiveness on healthcare outcomes. Dayer-Berenson (2014) however, states how culturally competent care does produce positive healthcare outcomes and therefore high quality care as through culturally competent practice, cultural sensitivity can be developed. This will bridge the gap between the healthcare professional and the patient which allows the patient to feel understood, respected and supported. There are various models which offer an understanding of cultural competence and a process for developing cultural competence to allow for high quality care. Campinha-Bacote developed the `The Process of Cultural Competence in the Delivery of Healthcare Services model’ in 1998 which looks at how the healthcare professional must work within the cultural context of the patient and ‘become’ culturally competent rather than ‘be’ culturally competent. Campinha-Bacote sees becoming culturally competent as an ongoing process which involves the constructs of cultural awareness, knowledge, skill, encounters and desire Campinha-Bacote (2002). When looking at cultural awareness; which is the process of the nurse exploring there own cultural and professional background and any bias towards other cultures, Dayer-Berenson (2014) agrees nurses need to be aware of there own culture so that they can step outside of it when necessary and care for patients only in terms of their needs. This will reduce misunderstandings and misjudgements and therefore failures in care, allowing for high quality care for the diverse service user population. On the other hand this model has some weaknesses. When looking at the construct of cultural skill which Campinha-Bacote (2002) defines as the collection of relevant cultural data through cultural assessment in regards to the patients presenting problem, Leishman (2004) identifies some issues. Her study on perspectives of cultural competence in healthcare found that nurses do not agree that the personal beliefs and values of patients should be impinged upon as Camphinha-Bacote suggests in her model. Leishmans study found that this may impact the patients overall impression on the care they receive and that individual patient needs irrespective of culture should be the focus of care. This view argues that patient centered care is favourable over cultural competence when caring for a diverse patient population . Patient centered care describes care which is centred around the individual and their needs with inclusion of families and carers in decisions about treatment and care (Manley and Hills et al. 2011). It is a philiosphy which is embedded at the forefront of all patient care, with a recent inquiry comminsed by the Royal College of General Practicioners (2014) emphasising the importance of patient centred care in the 21st century to meet the challenging and changing needs of patients; such as the increase in the diverse patient population. Kleinmans explanatory model of illness offers an alternative approach for looking at cultural competence as it supports the delivery of person centred care. The model contains steps that the healthcare professional can use to communicate with their patients. The steps look at several issues such as; establishment of the patients ethnic identity and what It means to them, how an episode of illness can effect the patient and their family, what the illness means to the patient, and how a cultural competent approach may help or hinder the patients care (NHS Flying Start 2014 , Kleinman and Benson 2006). By eliciting the patients and their families views and explanations of their illness the model allows for patient centred care. Also the cross cultural communication and recognition of any conflicts in values and beliefs which need negotiating produces culturally competent care (Hark and DeLisser 2009, Misra-Herbert 2003). The model has further strengths which also allow for high quality care as recognised by Kleinman and Benson (2006) who state that the model allows practicioners to set there knowledge alongside the patients own views and explanations which avoids an ethnocentric attitude. On the other hand the model is focused on the interaction between doctors and patients so it is therefore questionable as to wether this model can be applied to the nursing care of a diverse service user population (Misra-Hebert 2003). The acceleration of globalisation and therefore increase in migration means that the NHS have to care for an increasingly diverse service user population. To give high quality nursing care to their patients nurses must understand apply the concepts of diversity, equality and cultural competence. This essay has shown how this can be done by ensuring their practice is underpinned by legal and ethical principles and through respecting the diversity of all through treating patients as individuals and avoiding stereotypical and ethnocentric attitudes. Respecting diversity can also endorse equality which nurses can also encourage through promoting equal access to healthcare for all. Finally nurses must be culturally competenet practicioners by respecting diversity and equality and through the implication of models although further research is needed as cultural competence is a developing concept with other principles such as patient centered care also being seen as essential in nursing pra ctice. 2,180 1