Americans have been suffering needlessly from the prohibition of marijuana and its status as a Schedule I controlled substance. The original intent of preventing the use of marijuana has never ever been rooted in protecting the American people, but instead stem from the pressures of lobbyists, political agendas, and baseless ignorance and prejudice against the people that use it as a part of their culture. Marijuana exists as a simple plant grown in nature, used by humans for thousands of years. Recent research have also shown numerous positive effects of marijuana, including anti-carcinogenic properties of the plant. Legalizing marijuana will bring an end to ineffective policies to curb its use as well as bring in significant tax dollar revenue to both state and federal governments.