Marijuana is currently one of many illicit drugs in the United States. This article aims to disprove the US government's rampant theory that marijuana is for purely recreational use by demonstrating that marijuana has more benefits not only for those who use it but could also benefit non-users in the grand scheme of things and by demonstrating that the criminalization of marijuana is harmful to society itself. Medical cannabis, although opposed by most national governments around the world, has many well-documented medicinal benefits. An example of the use of cannabis in medicine is the treatment of Alzheimer's patients. As demonstrated by research conducted by the National Center for Biotechnology Information, THC, which is the active component of cannabis, has been found to “prevent the formation of Alzheimer's plaques in the brain more effectively than marketed drugs.” These plaques are the reason why people with Alzheimer's disease suffer from both cognitive and memory loss (Eubanks LM, Rogers CJ, Beuscher AE). But this is not the only use of medical cannabis. In a study from the Complutense University of Madrid or Complutense University of Madrid in English, it was discovered that the active chemicals in cannabis “promote the death of brain tumor cells by essentially helping them to feed themselves” (Salazar M, Carracedo A, Salanueva IJ); this ultimately led to the reduction of tumors and therefore the improvement of patients. But why, if benefits have been proven through its medical use, do the majority of world governments oppose research into it and criminalize it to the point that possession of it, depending on the quantity, can land a person in prison anywhere? 1 to 15 years? The answer to this question is......middle of paper......orida Department of Corrections. Frequently Asked Questions (2011) Food and Drug Administration (April 20, 2006). "Interagency advice regarding the claim that smoked marijuana is medicine". Press release.http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/2006/ucm108643.htm.“Rampant Animal Cruelty at California Slaughter Plant”< http://.humanesociety.org >Salazar M, Carracedo A, Salanueva IJ, et al. (May 2009). “Cannabinoid action induces autophagy-mediated cell death through stimulation of ER stress in human glioma cells.” The Journal of Clinical Investigation 119 (5): 1359–72“The Hemp Plant, Mankind's Savior - 50,000 Uses and Counting, Jeff Meints 01-23-2007”Use of Cannabis for Medicinal Purposes.” Report 3 of the Science and Public Health Council (I-09)