The legalization of marijuana in the United States has generated a lot of attention and controversy in recent months. The federal government prohibits the use of medical marijuana despite proven research studies that have uncovered the plant's potential to treat the lives of many Americans affected by illness and chronic pain. Medicinal use of the marijuana plant dates back to 2700 BC in China. Emperor Shen Nung discovered its healing properties and recommended marijuana for various illnesses (Mack and Joy 14). Today, prejudices and laws hinder the progress of marijuana in current medicine. Strict approval processes limit the research needed for such advancements (Medical Marijuana Research News). Despite illegalization at the federal and state level, twenty-one states over the past decade have made progress toward legalizing medical marijuana (“state medical marijuana laws”). It’s time for Texas to recognize the benefits and eliminate the stigma surrounding medicinal marijuana. Medical marijuana should be legalized in Texas due to its medicinal benefits associated with many chronic illnesses and the potential revenue the state could benefit from during this recessionary period. Marijuana in America became a popular ingredient in many medical products and was openly sold in pharmacies. in the late 19th century (“The Timeline of America’s Broken War on Marijuana”). The National Institute of Drug Abuse defines marijuana as: “The dried leaves, flowers, stems, and seeds of the hemp plant Cannabis sativa, which contains the psychoactive (mind-altering) chemical delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) , as well as other related compounds” (“DrugFacts: Marijuana”). We had to wait for the Food and Drug Act of 19...... middle of paper ......rijuanatoday.com/pros.php>."Regulatory information." Federal Food and Drug Act of 1906. US Food and Drug Administration, May 20, 2009. Web. April 14, 2014. .Seppa, Nathan. “Not just a high.” Scientific News 177.13 (2010): 16-20. Print."State Medical Marijuana Laws." Legislative news, studies and analyses. National Conference of State Legislatures, 2014. Web. April 2014. “Statistics”. PTSD Foundation of America Combat Trauma Support Groups Camp Hope Houston Warrior Shield Fort Hood Warriors Shield Radio. Np, and Web. April 28, 2014. .Wingerchuk, dean. “Medical Cannabis: Cultivating the Science, Eliminating the Fiction.” » The Lancet 364.9431 (2004): 315-16. Print.