The prohibition of marijuana is one of the most unjustified policies in the United States. Every year we spend billions of dollars on the war on drugs, with little benefit. Data released by the Federal Bureau of Investigation shows there were approximately 1,552,432 arrests for drug-related crimes in 2014 – a slight increase from the 1,531,251 drug-related arrests in 2013. Marijuana-related arrests accounted for 48.3% of all drug-related arrests. Most marijuana-related arrests involved possession of the drug. In 2014, for simple possession, there was a marijuana-related arrest every 48 seconds. Including distribution arrests, there was a marijuana-related arrest every 42 seconds. This ban makes no sense, especially in a country where alcohol consumption is completely acceptable. Many argue that marijuana use is much safer than alcohol or cigarettes, and yet it has been illegal for almost 70 years (NORML). These facts are indefensible. But what's even more terrible is that the many medicinal benefits of marijuana are denied to hundreds of thousands of patients each year. Banning recreational marijuana is a stupid policy, but banning medical marijuana is completely unfair. In this article, I will focus on the ban on medical marijuana. I'll start with a little history of medical marijuana and the medicinal properties of marijuana. I will then move on to the history of marijuana legislation in general, and then medical pot specifically. Current legislation will also be examined. I will conclude with potential policy options and ways to combat this injustice.History and uses of medicinal marijuanaAccording to written records, marijuana...... middle of paper ......tp://www. glaucoma.org/treating/treatment/marijuana.html.Goodard, Ian. Proven: Cannabis is a safe medicine. 1996. http://www.erowid.org/plants/cannabis/cannabis_medical_info2.shtmlGrass. Real. Ron Mann. Nar. Woody Harrelson. VHS, 2001. Marijuana Policy Draft. State-by-state medical marijuana laws. 2015. http://www.mpp.org/statelaw/body.html#cfl. Mitchell, Steve. Cancer chemotherapy. 2001. http://www.rxmarihuana.com/cancer_chemo.htmNational Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse. Marihuana, A Signal of Misunderstanding, Report of the United States National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse, 1972. NORML. Medical use of marijuana. 2015. http://norml.org/marijuana/medicalSolomon, David. Marijuana Tax Act of 1937. http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/hemp/taxact/mjtaxact.htm