Medical marijuana is a highly valuable natural medicine that is in danger of being banned from medical use in the United States. For years there has been some discussion about its medical use, but there are facts that it would be irresponsible to ignore before any ruling is made on the subject. Many people may wonder when marijuana became a popular idea for medicinal purposes. Tobe blunt so to speak: it is one of the oldest and most widespread natural medicines in the world. The Chinese were among the first to exploit its positive healing effects as early as “2727 BC,” according to the “Brainz” organization's website. This information was verified by archaeological evidence and historical references also found in the Jewish Talmud and Scythian royal tombs. In addition to its history of being widely accepted as a medicine, it has also been scientifically proven to be virtually harmless when used correctly. According to Dr. Donald Tashkin of the University of California, “even heavy and prolonged smoking of cannabis is not associated with lung cancer and other types of cancer of the upper aerodigestive tract.” Since the beginning of history, there has not been a single case of marijuana overdose or death directly associated with smoking or ingesting it. According to the organization Drug War Facts there are approximately 435,000 deaths each year as a direct result of cigarette smoking, the number one killer in the United States. Compared to not a single death in history due to marijuana or marijuana-related cancer, it seems ridiculous in mathematical terms that the government would legalize one and condemn the other. Basically the above evidence would summarily support the idea that marijuana is relative... middle of paper... conventional pain relief treatments. Therefore medical marijuana should at least undergo serious human testing in America, so that an effective medicine is not overlooked before it has a chance to help sufferers. In conclusion, professionals have proven that medical marijuana is virtually harmless and effective in treating many serious and debilitating diseases, so much so that it would be ignorant to ignore its possibilities before it has the chance to help thousands or millions of people. Works CitedBrainz. Np, Nd. Network. 8 April 2011911thc. Admin, October 21, 2010. Web. April 8, 2011 Facts about the war on drugs. Np, Nd. Network. April 9, 2011medicalmarijuana.procon. Tashkin, Donald P. April 17, 1997. Web. April 10, 2011michaelshouse. NP 2010. Network. 10 April 2011 “Emerging clinical applications for cannabis and cannabinoids”. normal. Np, 7 January 2011. Web. 10 April. 2011