Marijuana, or Cannabis, is a plant used since ancient times. Cannabis has had significant effects on history and societies over the years. It is a plant that can grow in any environment, except the Arctic Circle. Until recent years, the Cannabis plant has never been viewed negatively. The Cannabis Debate Has Begun Again; with some people thinking it should be legal and others thinking it should remain illegal. It's time for people to see cannabis for what it really is and not what manipulative advertisements have shown it to be. Cannabis was used in ancient China for medical purposes and in ancient India for pleasure. In the ancient Indian religion, the god Shiva stated that the Cannabis plant was placed on the earth as a pleasant pastime for human beings. Cannabis soon spread to the European region. In Europe, Napoleon Bonaparte introduced Cannabis to his soldiers. He preferred it to alcohol because it didn't leave a hangover. Queen Victoria used cannabis to treat fevers, insomnia and menstrual cramps. The cannabis plant was introduced to North America when Abdul Hammid, the sultan of Turkey, gave the American government an assortment of Turkish delicacies, which included cannabis for smoking. Cannabis has since been widely used in the United States. However, alcohol continued to be the drug of choice for the American people. Once the Prohibition Act came into force, despite the back alley bars, cannabis became an alternative to alcohol consumption. In New Orleans, known as the party center of the country, cannabis was used frequently. It was here, after Cannabis contributed to the emergence of jazz, that people began to despise Cannabis. William Herst was… the focus of the article… progress in our medical field, economics and agriculture. Works Cited www.abovetheinfluence.com/facts/drugsmarijuana www.testcountry.org/advantages-of-legalizing- marijuana.htmwww.heroinonline.org/HOLwww.davidbearmanmd.com/docs/ADHD1.pdfAdvances in Hemp Research, by: Paulo RanalliThe Benefits of Marijuana: Physical, Psychological, and Spiritual, by: Joan Bellowww.ncn.org/issues/43.12/ganjanomics-bringing-humbolts-shadow-economy-into-the-light?gclid=CMuurevRxaz.CFQ1U7www.legalizationofmarijuana.comwww .norml.org/news/2011www.pbs.orgwww.ncjrs.gov/app/abstractdb/AbstractDBDetails.aspx?id=125676Cannabis addiction; is the nature, consequences and treatment, by: Roger A. Hoffmanwww.norml.org/pdf_files/NORML_Economics_Cannabis_Legalization.pdfwww.skepically.org/recdrugs/id8.htmlwww.cga.ct.gov/2008/rpt/2008-r -0455. htmwww.timemagazine.com