The issue of legalizing marijuana is very controversial in the United States. This illicit drug is derived from the dried leaves, seeds and flowers of cannabis plants, which have addictive properties. It is very accessible due to the growing street trade in marijuana. The most common way to ingest marijuana is through smoking and oral consumption. It can be used as an ingredient in foods and can also be brewed as a tea. People who use marijuana overtime may develop an addiction to the drug, creating a serious distraction in their personal lives. Despite its effects, THC or tetrahydrocannabinol, which is the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, has been shown to treat and alleviate various health conditions. These include stimulating the appetite of AIDS patients who are experiencing significant weight loss and controlling nausea and vomiting in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Decriminalization of marijuana in the United States will have a positive impact on society because it promotes the medical use of marijuana and healthy economic growth through decreased government spending on the war on marijuana. People around the world have used marijuana for medical purposes since ancient times. The first known record of cannabis use dates back to 2727 BC, during the reign of Chinese Emperor Shen Nung. Around 2000 BC, the Egyptians also knew about the use of cannabis as a medicine to treat eye pain. About a millennium later, Indian doctors created an anesthetic by mixing cannabis and milk. The ancient Greeks also knew about the medical properties of cannabis to treat earaches. However, marijuana is not only known for its healing power...... middle of paper ......garet and Lynn M. Zott. Medical marijuana. Detroit: Greenhaven, 2013.Print.Jampel, Henry. “Marijuana and the treatment of glaucoma.” American Glaucoma Society. American Glaucoma Society, August 10, 2009. Web. April 21, 2014ProCon.org. “Top 10 Pros and Cons: Should Marijuana Be a Medical Option?” » ProCon.org, June 5. 2009. Internet. April 21, 2014 Schwartz, Carly. "Marijuana can stop the spread of HIV, study finds." The Huffington Post. The Huffington Post, February 11, 2014. Web. April 21, 2014. Stuart, Hunter. “If you support legal marijuana, memorize these 13 statistics.” The Huffimgtom Post. The Huffington Post, April 19, 2014. Web. April 21, 2014. “The Harmful Effects of Marijuana.” » The truth about marijuana. Foundation for a Drug-Free World, (2006). Internet. April 21, 2014Webley, Kayla. “Brief History”. Time 175.24 (2010): 22. EBSCOhost. June 21. 2010.Web. April 21. 2014.