Marijuana has been effectively prohibited in the U.S. since 1968, and has been a very controversial issue ever since. Marijuana is native to central Asia and was first cultivated some 10,000 years ago. "As early as 2737 B.C.E. in China, written accounts have extolled the use of marijuana as a treatment for malaria, rheumatism, fever, dysentery, depression, or as an appetite stimulant, or to induce sleep" (Brewer 1). Western doctors first discovered marijuana in 1839, when a well recognized doctor published the results of his experiments with humans and marijuana, praising marijuana as an effective medication for reducing or eliminating pain. Doctors then began studying the drug in depth and found numerous practical applications, especially in its ability to control restlessness and anxiety in the terminally ill. Thanks in part to the government-launched anti-marijuana campaign, titled "Marijuana, the Devil's Weed," marijuana was increasingly viewed as a catalyst point for anti-social behavior, especially among minorities. The government then implemented the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 which "undermined scientific examination of cannabis by heavily taxing and regulating all transactions (medicinal, industrial, and recreational) and linking all forms of the plant with recreational drug use" (Brewer 2). In 1970, all forms of marijuana possession and cultivation, including medical applications, were made illegal by the Controlled Substances Act.
             Despite the legal consequences imposed, marijuana is currently the third most popular recreational drug after alcohol and tobacco. There are currently more than 10 million current users, with over 18 million adult users in 1998 alone (Barbour 134). The debate stems from the question, as author Ed Rosenthal asks, "Which is more harmful to society, marijuana or marijuana laws?" In the past 30 years, over 10 million people have been arrested for mar...