For decades America has associated marijuana with many things, and none of them have ever been good. From the 1960s with the hippie revolution, to today with criminals of all kinds, there have been numerous associations that are probably unjustified nowadays. Why do we have such negative feelings about marijuana? Today in the United States the government considers it a Schedule I drug, meaning it has a “high potential for abuse” and “no currently accepted medical use.” The problem with this classification clearly lies in the second half of its classification. Marijuana certainly has medicinal purposes, and humans have been using it for centuries primarily to treat chronic pain and lack of appetite. It's difficult to build a valid argument against the effectiveness of medical marijuana without distorting the truth, yet people continue to argue that it's a horrible thing and could never help people. The main issue turns out to be the federal government's cooperation in the push for the legislation. for medical marijuana. About a fifth of US states have already legalized marijuana for medicinal purposes, but that hasn't stopped the federal government from stepping in and prosecuting marijuana holders in states where it is legal to do so. Under President Barack Obama, there was pressure for legislative reform on the federal side, and this gave state dispensaries leeway to operate, but it is not enough. All over the world people get cancer, people die from AIDS, people suffer from glaucoma, and people with Alzheimer's are forced to suffer through their disease without real and effective treatments. We currently have only mediocre treatments for the symptoms of these diseases. How......middle of paper......uana will mark a turning point in our country. We will finally be able to adequately treat patients suffering from debilitating pain and severe loss of appetite with natural, non-synthetic means. Research has been and is being conducted to justify the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes, and the results are quite positive. We, as citizens of the United States of America, have a duty to actively engage in this reform. The federal government is closer to swinging in favor of medical marijuana every time a state passes a law to open dispensaries and legalize marijuana, and we must do our part by urging our states to pass these laws. Perhaps we will live to see a day when America can overcome its fears of marijuana, a day when the country as a whole can accept it as a viable treatment, and a day when millions of patients can receive the treatment they deserve so rightly..