Today it is not uncommon to watch television and come across an advertisement promoting the use of alcohol and cigarettes. Both substances are harmful to your health and have no medical value, but they are both legal for anyone of legal age. For a cancer or AIDS patient seeking relief from marijuana, these advertisements must be difficult to bear. Peter McWilliams said: "Marijuana is the best anti-nausea drug known to science, and our leaders have consistently lied about it. (Arresting people for) medical marijuana is the most horrific example of government interference in the private lives of individuals. It is outrage within outrage.” Many people do not realize the benefits of marijuana and hemp due to conservative views and misconceptions Marijuana, or hemp, has been used since the beginning of recorded history. It has been used for recreational, medical and industrial purposes. On August 2, 1937, marijuana was made illegal. The cause was based on discrimination and racism, especially by Harry J. Anslinger, director of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics Congress passed the Marijuana Tax Act in 1937, making many racist slurs and statements such as “There are 100,000 marijuana smokers total in the United States, and most of them are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos, and entertainers. Their satanic music, jazz and swing, comes from the use of marijuana. This marijuana causes white women to seek sexual relations with blacks, entertainers and everyone else.” After a series of statements like this, Congress passed the law and marijuana officially became illegal. This was hard to believe since less than a decade earlier the government encouraged the cultivation of hemp due to its many uses. The main reason marijuana is still illegal is mostly due to misconceptions about the drug and conservatives who wouldn't stand for it…. Until they are diagnosed with glaucoma, cancer or AIDS; This might change your view a bit. Many people don't even know the benefits of the hemp plant. It can be used for fuel, food, petroleum, construction, paper, textiles and medicinal uses. People who undergo chemotherapy suffer from nausea and lose any sense of hunger; marijuana is the perfect antidote. It's a...paper role...and we routinely contact our elected officials. There is no reason why America should be denied this God-given plant. Its uses are endless unlike drugs like cigarettes and alcohol. Whether you hate or love the ideal of decriminalizing marijuana, America is about freedom, and if you want to use marijuana medically you should have the freedom of choice. Works Cited www.ThinkExist.com Marijuana and Health, May 24, 2014 www.Norml. comWhy is marijuana illegal? December 22, 2014 www.blogs.salon.comAnslinger sees a demon. www.drug-culture.com/historyHemp could save America. February 2, 2014 www.RENSE.com EPSCOhostPaul, Pamela Attitudes toward marijuana. American Demographics June 2014 p18 2p EPSCOhostSheramata, Davis. Hemp Rehabilitation Newsmagazine August 8, 2014 p14 2p EPSCOhostKlein, David. Marijuana During Adolescents Medical Journal November 2014 p976 EPSCOhost