Marijuana is now illegal in most countries of the world. In the United States it is illegal to use, possess, grow, or sell marijuana in about three-quarters of the states. Many people ignore these laws, however; in 2000 an average of one marijuana smoker was arrested every forty-five seconds in America.

Recently, though, the illegal status of marijuana has come under ever-increasing criticism. This is due largely to a growing belief that outlawing marijuana, a drug many experts say is less harmful than alcohol or tobacco, has been an entirely unsuccessful and exceedingly expensive experiment.

Before Marijuana Was Illegal

In the United States, marijuana and other substances derived from the cannabis plant were first made illegal in 1937, but the story leading up to the various cannabis laws goes back to the turn of the twentieth century. In 1900 between 2 and 5 percent of the U...