"In strict medical terms marijuana is far safer than many foods we consume. It is physically impossible to eat enough marijuana to induce death. Marijuana, in its natural form, is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man," states Francis Young (Gottfried). Many people believe that the use of marijuana is harmful and even deadly but it has been proven otherwise. Its use has many benefits such as medical cures for diseases such as AIDS and PTSD. Whether or not marijuana should be legalized is a highly controversial issue in the United States, and will likely continue to be so for many years to come.
Scientifically known as Cannabis Sativa, marijuana is a hemp plant (Marijuana). There have been more than 5,000 years of recorded history of use but the earliest known use was in China and Central Asia around 3000 B.C. In North America, Native Americans used the plant for religious ceremonies, healing and to calm the nerves. The hemp plant eventually became a major crop for American colonists. Because there being little recorded history to prove that marijuana causes violence, the U.S. Pharmacopeia listed marijuana as a medicine including the symptoms and diseases it could cure. The use of marijuana increased during the Prohibition. It became known as the "liberated spirit" of the roaring 20's (Gottfried). Although the use of the plant was at an all-time high, in 1925, the International Opium Convention attempted to control the international trade of marijuana. Years following the treaty, many other countries passed laws against the plant (Marijuana). In 1933 when the Prohibition was repealed, the use of marijuana was brought to the public's eye. Throughout the 30's, the Federal Bureau of Narcotic viewed marijuana as a "menace". The use and possession of marijuana then came illegal in 1937. During the 1960's, marijuana became part of the subculture due to the war in Vietnam.