When Olympic officials decided to give snowboarder Ross Rebagliati his gold
             medal back, the cheers drowned out the boos. It was a minor scandal
             involving a minor sport, but it spoke volumes about the world's shifting
             relationship with its favorite illicit drug, marijuana. A decade ago,
             Rebagliati would have been ostracized regardless of whether cannabis was on
             the list of his sport's banned substances. What's changed today is that our
             attitudes towards illegal drugs are becoming more sophisticated and
             According to Joanne Baum, on the subject of statistics of marijuana:
             Marijuana is the second most popular drug after alcohol in the country
             today. So many people smoke marijuana that the numbers alone seem to
             legitimize and condone its presence in people's lives. Yet, even in
             moderation marijuana is not 'safe.' Somehow this information had not
             filtered down to people who think they are smoking a fairly innocuous drug.
             Our society perpetuates the myths about pot being a fun, harmless,
             recreational drug. These myths feed into people's denial of marijuana's
             However, the abuse of marijuana is a problem. It is not only a personal
             problem, but also more importantly a social problem.
             Throughout history, marijuana has been used to serve various purposes in
             many different cultures. The purposes have changed over time to fit in with
             the current lifestyles. The cultivation of the marijuana plant in the United
             States began as far back as the Jamestown settlers around the year 1611. At
             that time, the main focus was on survival rather than for psychoactive
             purposes. Medicinal uses of marijuana eventually changed to enjoyment
             manipulation. Beginning in the 1960s marijuana use saw a reemergence with
             the rebellious youth, and the "hippie movement." This evolved into increased
             use among the older population as well. This trend continues to this day.
             After thirty years of research i...