?Marijuana. The very word sparks a reaction in anyone who hears it. It is the most controversial and widely used illicit drug in America. Marijuana is a term used to describe the dried flowers and leaves of the cannabis plant. Smoking marijuana releases delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol, also known as THC, which is the primary mind-altering ingredient in marijuana that produces the feeling of being “high.” It has been used both recreationally and medicinally for centuries. There are numerous accounts of its medicinal qualities in multiple historical artifacts. Its use dates back to 2737 B.C. when the Chinese emperor, Shen Nung, used it for medicinal purposes including malaria, gout, poor memory, rheumatism, and analgesia (Aggarwal). Even though it had been around for thousands of years, smoking marijuana recreationally only began to spread in the United States in the 1920s. Racism and misinformation were the main reasons that it was originally criminalized in the early 1930s. The history of marijuana criminalization is colorful and detailed, but largely beyond the scope of this paper. Harry J. Anslinger was the first commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics (which is now the DEA). He was racist and a bigot, which was not unusual in those days, but since he was in a position of power, congress assumed he knew what he was talking about when he stated, “Most marijuana smokers are Negroes, Hispanics, jazz musicians, and entertainers. Their satanic music is driven by marijuana, and marijuana smoking by white women makes them want to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers, and others. It is a drug that causes insanity, criminality, and death - the most violence-causing drug in the history of mankind (Gerber 9).” This alone was not enough to criminalize marijuana, but it definitely helped the cause. Many people still believe today that marijuana is “evil” and would definitely vote against its legalization due to preconceived notions such as Anslinger’s. But in reality, America and its citizens would benefit greatly if recreational smoking of marijuana was legalized throughout all 50 states, including advances in the psychological and medical field, incredible economic profit, and the well-being of the penal system. This is an important issue to discuss as it is an extremely topical subject nowadays and many people already have preconceived notions one way or another and I hope, with this essay, to help readers make a more informed decision. If one were to compare cannabis to alcohol or cigarettes, they would find that marijuana is much safer and healthier, both for the user and people around him. In 2012, approximately 3.3 million people died due to alcohol consumption (“Alcohol”). And yet, alcohol remains completely legal for anyone to buy as long as they are over 21. “Cigarette smoking is responsible for more than 480,000 deaths per year in the United States, including an estimated 41,000 deaths resulting from secondhand smoke exposure” (“Fast Facts”). And again, cigarettes are completely legal for anyone to buy as long as they are of age. According to a ruling made by Judge Francis Young, “Nearly all medicines have toxic, potentially lethal effects. But marijuana is not such a substance. There is no record in the extensive medical literature describing a proven, documented cannabis-induced fatality.” This holds true even today. In the entire internet, I could not find even one death in which the cause was confirmed or even suspected to be marijuana. Moreover, he states that a smoker would have to consume 20,000 to 40,000 times as much marijuana as is contained in a normal joint, or “A smoker would theoretically have to consume nearly 1,500 pounds of marijuana within about fifteen minutes to induce a lethal response.” This was based on many studies that he went though, leading him to his ultimate conclusion that “With respect to whether or not there is