For some people, it is a relaxing herb, something that temporarily takes your mind off reality. The aroma is unmistakable, the potency varies and there are approximately sixty-five million people who smoke it. I'm talking about Cannabis Sativa, the illegal variety of hemp known as marijuana. This plant offers many medical benefits that far outweigh the side effects. It has yet to be proven to be addictive or deadly. Marijuana as it stands now is an illegal narcotic, but I think the drug, with its physical, psychological, spiritual, but most importantly, medical benefits, should be legalized. Marijuana is one of the oldest cultivated plants. (Nahas,1986) The first to introduce the potential healing properties of marijuana were the Chinese. About five thousand years ago, the people of the Central Asian plains began cultivating the plant to obtain oil and fiber. The United States was introduced to marijuana in the 16th century. It was brought by the Spanish and English and used for its fiber. The intoxicating properties of the plant were discovered only at the end of the 19th century. It was used for the production of ropes and fabrics until the 20th century and today it is a widely used drug, preferably for pleasure. The therapeutic potential of the plant became known in Western countries during the 19th century. (Abel, 1996) From 1840 to 1900, more than a hundred articles on cannabis appeared in European and American medical journals, recommending it as an appetite stimulant, muscle relaxant, pain reliever, sedative, and to suppress seizures. Since then, marijuana has undergone numerous tests and extensive analyzes for its use as of medical value. The NIH (National Institute of Health) is one of many supporters... middle of paper... ls and preventing them from being repeat offenders. There are so many benefits to legalizing marijuana, they far outweigh the negatives. The physical, psychological, spiritual, economic, and medical benefits are all denied because marijuana, such as it is, is an illegal narcotic. George Washington once said, “Make the most of hemp seeds. Sow it everywhere.” (Rosenthal, 1996, p.95) Would you consider the first president of the United States a criminal? There are people in this country who drink responsibly, I think people should be able to use marijuana responsibly too. Although marijuana has been illegal for over thirty years, approximately 65 million Americans, a third of the population, use or have used the drug. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was quoted in 1963: “One has not only a legal, but also a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.”