The expository piece can be done in so many different ways as it gives the reciter the opportunity

to showcase their skills in writing and articulation. Remember you are given 10 minutes to say
your speech so make it count.

Also IT IS A SPEECH, NOT AN ESSAY SO MAKE YOUR TONE CONVERSATIONAL. An

easy way to master this is to write your speech exactly how you speak… with a little pizazz! Lol.

The expository piece can be divided into 4 main parts or as I said, I did my expository piece in 4
main parts.

These 4 MAIN PARTS ARE:

1. Introduction
2. Body
3. Evaluation
4. Conclusion

So let’s get started working on your piece shall we!!

First take a look at your topic.

My Topic:

AN EXPLORATION INTO THE LEGALIZATION OF MARIJUANA IN JAMAICA

AND THE IMPACT OF THE MEDICINAL USES ON CITIZENS IN KINGSTON,
JAMAICA

What is your topic?

______________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_ _____________________________________________________________________

Good going!!

Now, based on your topic come up with 3 focus questions that will help to guide what you will
speak about in your exposition. This is because a topic may still remain quite broad even though
you have narrowed it down.
 FOCUS QUESTIONS

1. What illnesses is marijuana used to treat?

2. Is marijuana legal in Jamaica?
3. What are the side effects of prolonged marijuana usage?

What are your questions? Tell me what you would like to find out during your research!

1. ________________________________________________________________________
______________________________
2. ________________________________________________________________________
______________________________
3. ________________________________________________________________________
______________________________

INTRODUCTION

Seeing that we are done with that it’s time to have a little chat about your introduction. This is
your opportunity to set the tone for the rest of your speech so include personality and make it
interesting.

Step 1: Include a hook. Hooks can be rhetorical questions, statements of unpopular opinions,
quotes, definitions etc.

E.g. According to Ric Scalzo, there is no evolution without co-evolution. Medicinal

plants have emerged over eons in a co-evolutionary dance with humans. Marijuana
for many years has benefitted Jamaica’s tourism sector dynamically as the plant
has been a muse in reggae and through this Jamaica has become ‘the birthplace’ of
the ‘ganja’ stereotype. However, through recent research, many other alternative
uses of marijuana were uncovered and not soon after it came to light Jamaica’s
intent to venture into its medicinal uses. And why not? As Jamaicans have their
own personal natural pharmacy in their very own backyards.

Don’t be mistaken, that entire paragraph is not my hook. The first sentence is. I simply took the
opportunity to explain what I meant when I said “There is no evolution without co-evolution”.
That is completely fine… If you believe it is necessary for you to explain some of your points,
by all means do. At the end of your presentation you want your points brought across clearly.

Step 2: Mention your topic and theme.

E.g. This presentation encompasses research done in the herbal medical field in
Jamaica bearing an investigation into the legalization of marijuana in Jamaica and
the impact of the medical uses on citizens…
Step 3: Outline your focus questions

E.g. …involving the ailments it is used to treat, is marijuana in fact legal in Jamaica
as well as the side effects of prolonged marijuana usage.

Step 4: Further outline what else your speech will cover, that including limitations, evaluation
etc.

E.g. Also, the challenges encountered during the research process and an evaluation
of my sources will be covered.

Step 5: State your purpose for choosing this topic and ultimately conducting this research.

E.g. Furthermore, how this topic impacted me will be revealed as the principal
reason for choosing this topic. It is to clear up many misconceptions which
manage to make the field of medicine a foggy voyage to no real destination.

Why did you choose this topic?

______________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

Step 6: State some limitations you encountered.

This is not set in stone for the introduction. You can place it wherever you are most comfortable.
I placed my limitations further to the end of my speech.

E.g. I was fruitful in gathering such information however there were many
challenges obtaining it. Attaining valuable data through vox medicus had proven to
be a great challenge due to the lack of neurologists in Jamaica. I had discovered
that though there are many students who study medicine in Jamaica and actually
graduate medical school as doctors, they don’t pursue fields such as neurology and
there are many other specialties which are lacking in the medical field in Jamaica.
Also the topic of marijuana seemed to be a quite taboo subject per say and I found
that not many people wanted to speak on the issue.

What were the challenges you faced while trying to obtain information for your research?
DON’T SAY NOT BEING ABLE TO ACCESS WIFI!!! DO NOT, EVEN MENTION
WIFI ANYWHERE CLOSE TO THE WORDS CHALLENGES OR LIMITATIONS OR
ANY FANCY SYNONYM TO THOSE WORDS YOU HAVE NESTED IN YOUR
VOCABULARY!

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

BODY-ODY-ODY-ODY…

Just like that you are done with your introduction! It’s time to move on to your body.

In the body simply answer your focus questions. Be as brief as possible with this because you
only have 10 minutes to cover in your speech and believe it or not there are more important
aspects which we have not covered yet.

1. Is marijuana legal in Jamaica?

In just June of 2019, Jacqueline Charles tells the story of a tourist who obtained
marijuana legally in Jamaica simply, by answering a few questions at the Old Casa
Blanca Hotel at which she was staying. There she was given a medical card which
allowed her to purchase marijuana grown locally. “Right now this – this is a
phenomenon!” the words of Christopher “Birdheye” Gordon, owner of Island
Strains Herb House in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Just two years after Jamaica began
awarding cannabis licences for medical, therapeutic and scientific uses, being the
first Caribbean country to decriminalize ganja, the government still struggles to
find its footing in the legal medical – marijuana sphere. Now why might I say
this? Well do you remember that little word decriminalized, there is a huge
difference between decriminalized and legalized. Now the Legalization of
cannabis is the process of removing all legal prohibitions against it while the
decriminalization of cannabis means it would remain illegal, but the legal system
would not prosecute a person for possession under a specified amount. Jamaica is
now banking on the decriminalization of medical marijuana as many herb houses
for tourists and locals alike. Jamaica’s legislature voted to amend the nation’s law
in 2015 and here the many misapprehensions arose in the minds of Jamaicans. The
decriminalization of marijuana made it far from legal. As the law was passed for
practitioners of the Rastafarian faith allowing them to only ‘use’ for religious
purposes. Also the law caters to those who possess a medical card, and trading
without a licence will lead to prosecution.

Answer your first question!

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

2. What illnesses is marijuana used to treat?

Cannabis Sativa is used to treat mental health conditions like schizophrenia, and
posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It is also used to treat patients who suffer
from eating disorders such as anorexia and cancer patients. According to the
World Health Organization (WHO) about 25% of cancer patients use marijuana to
relieve a variety of pains and nausea caused by chemotherapy.

Answer your second question!

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

3. What are the side effects of prolonged marijuana usage?

However, although cannabis is used to help with all these illnesses, prolonged use
may cause dizziness, quickening heart rate, hypotension, bloodshot eyes and
depression.

Answer your third question!

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

EVALUATION

After you are through with your body, start with the evaluation of your sources.

Step 1: Introduce your sources of data

I was able to obtain the necessary information through medical journals published
by the University of the West Indies on the topical issue as well as website articles
from the World Health Organization, and political updates on the topic published
through the Jamaican Gleaner.

What were your sources of data? It was recommended that I use 1 primary source of data and a
secondary source of data.

______________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_
_____________________________________________________________________________
_
_____________________________________________________________________________
_

Step 2: Speak about the validity and reliability of your primary source of data.

The medical journal, my primary source of data, was published based on research
done by Dr Henry Lowe, Chairman of the Environmental Health Foundation,
Kingston, Jamaica; Professor Errol Morrison, Dean of the School for Graduate
Studies and Research, at The University of the West Indies; and Ms Nadine
Wilkins, Senior Projects Officer in the Projects Office, The University of the West
Indies, Mona, Kingston 7, Jamaica. The topic is an ongoing probe and has yet to
come to a final solution. The information which I obtained from the journal was
related to my topic and also corresponds with other sources which I had grappled
with.

Why should I trust the information from your primary source of data?

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

Step 2: Speak about the validity and reliability of your secondary source of data.

My secondary source of data, the newspaper articles published through the

Jamaica Gleaner have proven to be valid and reliable; as the Gleaner has been
providing Jamaica with information from as early as 1834. Also most journalists
for the gleaner are published authors and usually write on serious issues.

Why should I trust the information from your secondary source of data?

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

CONCLUSION

SUM IT ALL UP!!

I did not do a summary at the end of mine because I personally don’t like to. For me it seems a
bit repetitive/redundant so instead I conclude with a closing argument. Basically telling how I
felt at the end of the process.

In conclusion, I can say that this research process has uncovered that which it had
set out to find and is therefore successful. This investigation helped me to
understand the situation and status of marijuana in Jamaica and its potential for
growing as a backbone for culture and medicine.

Let me hear your good ole’ conclusion

______________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_
_____________________________________________________________________________
_
_____________________________________________________________________________
_

If your conclusion is longer than 4 lines of text, take some stuff out. It’s too long. I know fluff
is comfortable but refrain from using it.

And you are done!! Congratulations. Remember to practice your speech because you are
required to memorize it. You are allowed to bring cue cards along with you but not your entire
speech. ALL THE BEST!!

THE SAMPLE SPEECH

According to Ric Scalzo, there is no evolution without co-evolution. Medicinal plants have
emerged over eons in a co-evolutionary dance with humans. Marijuana for many years has
benefitted Jamaica’s tourism sector dynamically as the plant has been a muse in reggae and
through this Jamaica has become ‘the birthplace’ of the ‘ganja’ stereotype. However, through
recent research, many other alternative uses of marijuana were uncovered and not soon after it
came to light Jamaica’s intent to venture into its medicinal uses. And why not? As Jamaicans
have their own personal natural pharmacy in their very own backyards. This presentation
encompasses research done in the herbal medical field in Jamaica bearing an investigation into
the legalization of marijuana in Jamaica and the impact of the medical uses on citizens, involving
the ailments it is used to treat, is marijuana in fact legal in Jamaica as well as the side effects of
prolonged marijuana usage. Also, the challenges encountered during the research process and an
evaluation of my sources will be covered. Furthermore, how this topic impacted me will be
revealed as the principal reason for choosing this topic is to clear up many misconceptions which
manage to make the field of medicine a foggy voyage to no real destination.

In just June of 2019, Jacqueline Charles tells the story of a tourist who obtained marijuana
legally in Jamaica simply, by answering a few questions at the Old Casa Blanca Hotel at which
she was staying. There she was given a medical card which allowed her to purchase marijuana
grown locally. “Right now this – this is a phenomenon!” the words of Christopher ``Birdheye”
Gordon, owner of Island Strains Herb House in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Just two years after
Jamaica began awarding cannabis licences for medical, therapeutic and scientific uses, being
the first Caribbean country to decriminalize ganja, the government still struggles to find its
footing in the legal medical – marijuana sphere. Now why might I say this? Well do you
remember that little word decriminalized, there is a huge difference between decriminalized
and legalized. Now the Legalization of cannabis is the process of removing all legal
prohibitions against it while the decriminalization of cannabis means it would remain illegal,
but the legal system would not prosecute a person for possession under a specified amount.
Jamaica is now banking on the decriminalization of medical marijuana as many herb houses
for tourists and locals alike. Jamaica’s legislature voted to amend the nation’s law in 2015 and
here the many misapprehensions arose in the minds of Jamaicans. The decriminalization of
marijuana made it far from legal. As the law was passed for practitioners of the Rastafarian
faith allowing them to only ‘use’ for religious purposes. Also the law caters to those who
possess a medical card and trading without a licence will lead to prosecution. Cannabis Sativa
is used to treat mental health conditions like schizophrenia, and posttraumatic stress disorder
(PTSD). It is also used to treat patients who suffer from eating disorders such as anorexia and
cancer patients. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) about 25% of cancer
patients use marijuana to relieve a variety of pains and nausea caused by chemotherapy.
However, although cannabis is used to help with all these illnesses, prolonged use may cause
dizziness, quickening heart rate, hypotension, bloodshot eyes and depression.

I was fruitful in gathering such information however there were many challenges obtaining it.
Attaining valuable data through vox medicus had proven to be a great challenge due to the lack
of neurologists in Jamaica. I had discovered that though there are many students who study
medicine in Jamaica and actually graduate medical school as doctors, they don’t pursue fields
such as neurology and there are many other specialties which are lacking in the medical field in
Jamaica. Also the topic of marijuana seemed to be a quite taboo subject per say and I found that
not many people wanted to speak on the issue. Through it all I was able to obtain the necessary
information through medical journals published by the University of the West Indies on the
topical issue as well as website articles from the World Health Organization, and political
updates on the topic published through the Jamaican Gleaner.

The medical journal, my primary source of data, was published based on research done by Dr
Henry Lowe, Chairman of the Environmental Health Foundation, Kingston, Jamaica; Professor
Errol Morrison, Dean of the School for Graduate Studies and Research, at The University of the
West Indies; and Ms Nadine Wilkins, Senior Projects Officer in the Projects Office, The
University of the West Indies, Mona, Kingston 7, Jamaica. The topic is an ongoing probe and
has yet to come to a final solution. The information which I obtained from the journal was
related to my topic and also corresponds with other sources which I had grappled with.

My secondary source of data, the newspaper articles published through the Jamaica Gleaner
have proven to be valid and reliable; as the Gleaner has been providing Jamaica with
information from as early as 1834. Also most journalists for the gleaner are published authors
and usually write on serious issues.

In conclusion, I can say that this research process has uncovered that which it had set out to
find and is therefore successful. This investigation helped me to understand the situation and
status of marijuana in Jamaica and its potential for growing as a backbone for culture and
medicine.