Marijuana's place in human culture is no new phenomenon.  Whether it was called weed, cannabis, pot, dope, grass, ganja, hashish, hemp, bud, or Mary Jane, it has been a part of human life since the ancient times.  While it is most commonly discussed because of its psychoactive properties, present in the Cannabis sativa and Cannabis indica species, it is important to note that in history marijuana has been used just as commonly in its non-psychoactive form ("Marijuana History").  The non-psychoactive Cannabis sativa L. species, known as hemp, is defined as, "a tall widely cultivated Asian herb that has a tough bast fiber used especially for cordage" ("Hemp").  Hemp has been used for its fibers since the first evidence of marijuana use, occurring in Asia.  It is first identified being used for cord and cloth on ancient pottery located in Taiwan that dates back to before 8000 B.C.  The first documentation of marijuana being used for its medicinal and psychoactive properties occurs in 2737 B.C. in the writings of Chinese emperor Shen Nung.  Due to marijuana's usefulness both as a fiber and a psychoactive substance, good for medication and spiritual purposes, it quickly spread in popularity across Asia, Africa, and Europe ("The 10,000-year"). 

From its origination in Asia, marijuana spread throughout Europe and Africa up until its departure to the Americas on a Spanish ship in the 1540s.  It was first cultivated in the "U.S." (was not the United States at the time) during the Jamestown expedition in the early 1600s alongside tobacco as a cash crop.  This trend continued into the formation of the United States as marijuana was mass produced on plantations during the 1800s and considered one of the nations biggest cash crops ("Marijuana History").  However, during this time marijuana was grown mostly for the production of hemp and was only available in psychoactive form at pharmaceutical stores. The public used this marijuana on a very small scale and only for medical reasons.  While smoking marijuana for recreational use was currently very popular in other parts of the world at this time, it was not yet part of American culture ("The 10,000-year").  This changed in the early 1900s when the recreational smoking of marijuana was introduced by Mexican immigrants entering the U.S. after the Mexican Revolution of 1910.  The American public quickly associated marijuana with the Mexican immigrants.  The crime that followed the immigrants and the drug into the states was also associated with marijuana.  Racial bias led to a fear of marijuana through association.  This was only heightened by factors like the Great Depression in the 1930s, which increased the public resentment of immigrants and therefore marijuana.  These factors led to the quick criminalization of marijuana in states throughout the U.S. until the federal government officially criminalized the drug in 1937 with the Marijuana Tax Act ("Marijuana Timline").  This public distaste for marijuana continued until it was removed from the U.S. Pharmacopeia in 1941, meaning the drug carried no medicinal value ("The 10,000-year").  This proposition was backed by law with the Controlled Substances Act of 1970 which "classified marijuana along with heroin and LSD as a Schedule I drug, i.e., having the relatively highest abuse potential and no accepted medical use" ("Marijuana History").  Since these events the movement for marijuana legalization has been a tremendous uphill battle.  The focused attention of the federal DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) caused by the War on Drugs, as well as the Schedule 1 labeling, has made marijuana policy change extremely slow.  Although, despite these overbearing setbacks, the marijuana legalization movement took a turn when California became the first state to legalize marijuana medically in 1996.  This trend has followed suit in 39 other states with Oregon, Washington, Colorado and Alaska, making marijuana available recreationally in the past 5 years ("Marijuana Legalization Map").  This is all despite marijuana still being deemed illegal and a Schedule 1 substance by the federal government.  America now stands at the brink of federal medical legalization and the potential open door for recreational legalization. 

In terms of the length of marijuana history, the substance has only been illegal in an extremely small section of its lifespan, therefore making it an historical irregularity that it is currently illegal in most places. 

The debate over marijuana is important because it has hidden implications our society, yet the public continuously sees it as a lesser issue.  The average person looks at this debate and sees a futile battle between young liberal activists trying to legalize the drug, and a conservative older generation trying to make sure that never happens.  The normal citizen probably has an opinion, but they are not as concerned with this issue on a level comparative to any of the other issues in America.  They are not invested in the debate because whether its legal or not, these are the people that wont use it, so it, "does not affect them."  However, these citizens care about our taxes, the health of our people, current racial issues, and the big problems with our costly criminal justice system.  What they do not realize is that this issue over marijuana has huge implications over all those political problems.  It is important to be invested in the conversation because it does not simply affect marijuana users, but instead this whole nation and the most important problems that are weighing on our people.  

The public tends to lean towards four opinions on the subject.  They want marijuana either: illegal, legal medically, legal recreationally, or have no opinion on the matter.  Those who want the drug illegal commonly believe that marijuana is not good for one's health, as well as once it is released in society it will have negative implications on everybody.  The people that do not have an opinion are most likely not marijuana users and do not believe the debate affects them because they will not use the drug whether it is illegal or legal.  People who want the drug legal medically know the health benefits provided by the drug for those with certain illness's and see the necessity that it be available to those people.  However, I will be arguing that all these people do not see the full picture in terms of the benefits of legalizing marijuana recreationally.  It does not matter what generation, or what party a person is; if they look at the facts they will see that recreational marijuana legalization will help America the most.  To not make it available for recreational use is actually an injustice to the people, and is taking away the freedom we Americans so commonly value. Recreational marijuana legalization is for the people; a representation of the American way. 

As a millennial baby, I feel the eyes reading this paper judging me as a bias subject.  They automatically see me as, "one of those young liberal activists."  They would be right to say that I am part of a generation that is more open to the idea of legalization than any other.  However, I can provide a viewpoint that not very many people can.  As a person who has formerly been a part of the marijuana culture, I have seen the inside and out of how the drug interacts with society.  I understand much of the energy that surrounds the movement today and I at least embrace the concept of legalization possibly being a beneficial asset to our nation.  Although, (and this is very important) I am not naive.  I know marijuana is a drug, and I understand the possible repercussions of throwing an available substance like this into society.  While I have seen the good things surrounding the movement, I have also seen the ugly side, and it is pretty ugly.  With all these things considered, I can now offer an outsiders opinion after seeing both sides of the fence.  I know the up and downs of marijuana on a small scale, and that will offer a good base of perception as I enter into this important conversation.

The place that the marijuana debate falls apart is actually at the very origin of the conversation: what is it?  Both sides of the legalization debate provide scientific evidence for marijuana being two distinct and separate things.  CALM USA (Citizens Against Legalizing Marijuana), a lead anti-legalization organization, provides evidence that: "marijuana is not a medicine ...  can cause permanent brain damage ...  causes health problems including cancer ...  causes mental illness ...  can kill or permanently harm a fetus ...  causes DNA damage ...  is addictive" ("DO YOU").  Meanwhile, the marijuana legalization movement provides scientific evidence that marijuana has numerous scientific medical benefits.  With both sides providing scientific evidence, who are Americans supposed to believe?  As knowledgeable citizens, its people's duty to recognize legitimate information in this debate, and in doing so people will find that the anti-legalization movement commonly uses "scientific evidence" that has no creditability.  While CALM USA sits in the more extreme side of this conversational spectrum, there creditability is a good example for methods commonly used by anti-legalization parties.  Their "Do You Know Marijuana" article, which headlines their organization website, cites its sources from 40 years ago, during a time where heavy anti-marijuana bias existed.  Conversation and scientific evidence has changed enormously since then.  The facts are marijuana undoubtedly has medical benefits, and this could be proven by up to date scientific research.  However, its much easier to just show first hand documentation of medical marijuana in action, providing relief that no other known substance currently can.  

In Culture High, a documentary released in 2014, first hand investigative research is done on a boy named Jayden who lives in California.  Jayden has had epilepsy since he was 6 months of age, and sometimes experiences over 100 seizures a day.  He was unable to live any type of normal life, with the inability to even speak because of the stress on his brain.  In order to try and stop his health disorder, Jayden was put on numerous drugs, some of which included extremely strong prescription benzodiazepines or "benzos."  These drugs are very addictive and undisputedly unhealthy to be taking, especially for a baby, but the family had no other options.  Despite the drugs, Jayden's gruesome seizures remained until he was 7 years old when the family tried something different out of desperation.  They gave Jayden cannabis extract in the form of "cannabidiol" and he had the first seizure-free day of his entire life since infanthood.  Jayden went on to wane off his pills, experiencing terrible withdrawals, but nevertheless becoming prescription medication free.  The family of Jayden says that they can just now begin their life with him. Jayden's story is just one of many.  Marijuana consistently helps people with a variety of illnesses cope and live a more meaningful life.  It is especially useful in children whose body are susceptible to the harm of harsh prescription drugs.  In VICE's Stoned Kids documentary, a little girl is able to cope with the pain and side-affects associated with chemotherapy in her battle against cancer.

After seeing first-hand the beneficial affects marijuana can have on a person, it is black and white where marijuana stands as a substance.  It is unarguably a medication that can have enormous benefits on the health of American people.  Due to evidence alone marijuana should at the very least be legal medically on a federal level, and have the Schedule 1 labeling stricken down.  

Even though marijuana shows definite potential for medical use, for marijuana use to be deemed viable for recreational use, it must fulfill a higher standard.  Its important that marijuana does not just show medicinal benefits, but also shows a lack of harmful affects on the user.  If this is the case, then potential for recreational marijuana legalization would exist.  Again, the scientific medical research on this subject remains contradictory on either side of the argument.  Although this time, it is more difficult to delineate between which side has more credible and viable information.  

The most revealing source on this subject that exists is one called, "Impact of adolescent marijuana use on intelligence: Results from two longitudinal twin studies."  It consists of a study done on sets of twins in their adolescent years of life (considered the time a person is most susceptible to harmful affects from drugs) consisting of their status in both intelligence and intellectual obtainment (status in life achieved through intelligence) in relation to marijuana use.  The purpose of the usage of twins is to delineate between results showing marijuana use causing a negative affect on the brain and body, compared to a subject's brain and body making them prone to marijuana use (shows what is the actual cause and affect).  The experiment stated that, "an absence of meaningful differences between discordant siblings lead us to conclude that the deficits observed in marijuana users are attributable to confounding factors that influence both substance initiation and IQ rather than a neurotoxic effect of marijuana."  This means that they did not witness marijuana having any neuro-toxic on the body when marijuana use was observed by one twin and not the other.  They could make this distinction because the subjects were twins, and carried the same genetics.  Any possible negative affects in a subject's anatomy were due to factors not related to marijuana, and could actually be leading the subject to partake in the use of marijuana.  

With this evidence given, marijuana shows no potential harm greater than any other recreational substance.  Although it may be used as an escape because of its psychoactive properties by people of less intellectual obtainment does not mean it causes this inferior intellectual obtainment.  Marijuana itself is innocent of negative affects on a person anatomy and therefore can be considered for recreational legalization if positive benefits coincide within society. 

Its no secret; the United States has a massive arrest and incarceration problem.  As of 2015 "the United States [had] less than 5 percent of the world's population, yet [had] almost 25 percent of the world's total prison population" (Maraniss).  America is heavily over-incarcerating their people.  In 2013, the United States spent over 49 billion on incarcerated citizens in prisons("Policy").  This is largely due to the fact that a huge portion of the people in prison are non-violent offenders.  In 2014, out of 11,205,833 total arrests made, only 498,666 of them were considered violent crimes ("Crime").  Tax payers intend their money to go to the criminal justice system in order to keep the general public safe, not to arrest and incarcerate people that cause no detriment to the general public health.  Additionally, there is an intensifying problem with the relationship between the police force and the minorities of America.  Its imperative to find a solution to the increasing numbers in instances of death and violence associated with confrontation between government officials and communities of minorities.  If the current social climate continues, large national problems could surface. 

In a country that is so plagued by debt and problems outside of those just listed, any money unnecessarily wasted is a crime towards the people.  The government owes it to its citizens to better allocate these tax payers dollars.  

Out of the 1,561,231 drug arrests in 2014, 700,993 (or 44.9%) of them were marijuana related.  This means that 1 in 15 out of all arrests made in the U.S. in 2014, were marijuana related.  619,809 of these were for mere simple possession of the drug, meaning they had it on their person not for the purpose of sale ("Crime").  The War on Drugs cost the government over $51 billion dollars a year and almost half of those drug arrests are due to marijuana violations (Turiano).  Additionally, each simple marijuana possession arrest costs the state $750 to make.  In 2014 these costs add up to another half a billion spent on marijuana arrests (Ingraham).  Each simple marijuana possession arrest takes a minimum of one to two hours of a cop's time to take care of.  This means that in 2014 a minimum of 619,809 cop hours were spent on simple marijuana possession arrests ("Crime").  This is a huge allocation of tax payer's dollars that is going towards the control of a substance that 58% of the population thinks should be legal recreationally in a "nation governed by the people" ("Marijuana Legalization Map").  Meanwhile, the time spent by the police officers on these arrests could be spent on doing other tasks like protecting the people, which is their intended purpose in society.  Legalizing marijuana recreationally could potentially save $22.5 billion tax payers dollars a year as well as reallocate more than 619,809 police man hours to a better cause. 

Additionally, drug arrests are a huge cause for the racial disparity that exists today in American society.  Many see the War on Drugs as a vehicle for targeting and incarcerating minorities.  While there's no true evidence for motivation of that besides pure racism, the statistics hold true to that possibility.  Even though all races have a similar rate of usage of marijuana, "[t]he government's assault on marijuana use incorporates tactics that target black Americans in excess."  Police forces use stop and frisk techniques in poor neighborhoods that are predominantly minorities.  The stop and frisk policy practiced in New York consisted of an astounding 80% of minorities between 2004 and 2012, resulting in their practice being deemed unconstitutional (Turiano).  This type of racially motivated police practice in relation to drug policy is a huge source of the unrest that currently exists in American society.  Legalizing marijuana could greatly cut down on the number of these types of policies and interactions that are so commonly causing violent situations and public unrest. 

 While this is in no way a complete solution to the racially charged incarceration and arrest problems in the United States, in undoubtedly leads the the government in the right direction.  Legalizing marijuana would better fit the desires in legislation sustained by the people as well as free up a large amount of money that could go back the citizens or towards another greater use.  

The most viable counter-argument to marijuana legalization that stands today has to be the gateway drug problem.  The reason for this is because there's truth to it.  However, in terms of evidence, there's not a lot of viable sources out there on this topic for a few reasons.  Its very hard to determine scientifically if marijuana is a direct cause for the usage of more and extreme hard drugs (i.e. cocaine, LSD, ecstasy).  This is because there is theoretically no possible way to determine if the person hadn't ever used marijuana, if they still would have gone on to use the harder drugs.  While marijuana does seem to be a pre-cursor of hard drug use, it does not inherently mean that the marijuana use led to the hard drug use.  

However, a person who is a part of this generation and a former member of the culture that surrounds this drug, I absolutely believe marijuana leads to the usage of other harder drugs.  I have seen marijuana provide a stepping stool for many people into the world of harder drugs, who would have otherwise not been prone to that lifestyle.  Although, I do not see this a permanent problem.  

The issue with the gateway drug problem lies in the culture of marijuana.  For years' marijuana has been treated both by the government and society as an illegal substance, and as such, has been grouped culturally with illegal hard drugs.  Marijuana serves as a gateway drug because it is acceptable enough to be consumed by the average citizen, but is also linked through association in legality to a culture that values the usage of hard drugs.  With marijuana legal recreationally this would change.  Consider beer as a different but similar example.  Parents go out and have a few beers, drink beer at home, and no one ever associates that with drug culture because it is legal.  If a generation passed where citizens treated marijuana in the same fashion, the following generation would have a totally different culture surrounding marijuana.  Marijuana and alcohol both would be grouped in the same culture of socially and legally accepted substances, while hard drugs would remain in a separated "hard illegal drug culture."   

Out of all the evidence that could point to recreational legalization being beneficial to our nation, what could be more useful than examples of current recreational legalization?  In addition to the saved money in the justice system, Colorado raked in over $100 million in marijuana taxes in the first year of recreational legalization (Turiano).  Similarly, Washington made and additional $83 million in marijuana tax revenue which went towards "funding substance abuse prevention and treatment programs, youth and adult drug education, community health care services, and academic research and evaluation on the effects of marijuana legalization in the state."  In terms of social benefits, Washington also experienced: an enormous decrease in marijuana related offenses, a decrease in violent crime (with other crime remaining stable), stable amount of vehicle fatalities, stable amount of youth marijuana usage, and an increased percentage of public support in the policy ("Marijuana Legalization in").  These social factors remain constant in all the states that have legalized marijuana recreationally so far.  Anti-legalization arguments consisting of "marijuana creating an increased level of crime, more car injuries, more youth usage" would have been addressed in this conversation if they weren't so blatantly proven wrong in real world implementation and evidence.  Statistics show recreational marijuana legalization has been nothing but helpful to the states that have implemented it so far. 

The bottom line is; marijuana is a substance that has wrongfully had a stigma associated with it since the beginning of its introduction as a recreational substance in America.  Both society and the government labeled it as taboo, leading policy to follow.  Now rationality in the conversation over marijuana as a recreational substance stands as a potential solution to many problems facing the United States.  If you too see recreational marijuana as a hidden solution, make it un-hidden!  Having an impact on this conversation is as simple as being well versed on the facts and implications of this current policy.  Being part of the conversation and voting is all that is needed to move this idea forward.  In the end you aren't just changing policy, but improving the health of our people, saving tax payers money, fixing the criminal justice system, and beating racial disparity.  Its an easy way to be American. 

