Cannabis has been used for various reasons since ancient times. The Chinese began using it for medicinal purposes around 2800 BC. Until the 20th century, many cultures continued to use cannabis for many medical reasons, such as convolution, gonorrhea, asthma, and to stimulate the appetite, to name a few (The Science of Marijuana, p. The British began distributing it as medicine in the 1800s, as did the United States. In the early 1900s, the United States banned the substance, followed by the British in the 1970s. Each country considered it a Schedule I drug (The Science of Marijuana, p. 122). Recently, the use of medical marijuana has increased. Launched by California in 1996, the list of US states approving marijuana for medical purposes continues to grow. In the past two years, Colorado and Washington have gone so far as to legalize it for recreational use. This has caused some controversy in American legal systems, as well as culturally. Supporters of recreational marijuana at the federal level received a majority, about 52 percent. Despite this, the federal government has given no signs of changing current laws. There is also debate over the ability of states to legalize marijuana when the laws run counter to those at the federal level. Many people have little real knowledge about marijuana and need clarity to make decisions. Medicinal cannabis has been around since almost 3000 BC. The Chinese are the earliest known users, using it to combat constipation, gou...... middle of paper ....The legalization of marijuana has become a growing issue in the political views of Today. As more states move toward medical use of the substance, and even though seven states legalize recreational use by the 2016 elections, it appears there is a need for some sort of federal motion on the issue, one way or the other. The federal government has given no indication of its position on the legalization of marijuana. President Obama has given his perspective, saying he believes this is not an appropriate approach to fixing the current economy. With benefits and costs misconstrued among all the gossip and hearsay, those who take sides need to have proper information before deciding what decision they will make in elections. The road to marijuana legalization has been a long one, lasting almost a century so far, and it's on its way to finding a definitive answer..