Since the mid-1930s, marijuana has been illegal at the federal level. This was due to pure propaganda and incorrect facts which in turn brainwashed individuals from the positive aspects of the drug. Under the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937, the perception of marijuana in our countries has completely gotten out of control, preventing our country from reaping its positive benefits. These benefits are contrasted with the total failure of prohibition in the respective articles detailed in this summary. Many believe that marijuana prohibition has been a complete failure in many ways, but exactly what effects has it had on our country? In the article "Top Ten Reasons to End Marijuana Prohibition" on the website www.mppp.org; According to the FBI since 1995 more than twelve million US citizens have been arrested on marijuana-related charges, l '80% of which simply for drug possession. While in some states the punishments for possession are significantly less harmful, others still consider it a serious crime. For example, in the article “A Tale of Two Drug Wars” by Barcott, Bruce of Rolling Stone Magazine explains that in Louisiana if you are caught with an ounce of marijuana and have a criminal record you risk a mandatory minimum sentence of thirteen years and a third year of prison. Considering that it costs just over $28,000 to house an inmate for a year, a thirteen-year sentence would cost taxpayers $364,000. Instead of using our tax dollars for more important things to improve our country, we are paying a significant amount of money to prisoners for a simple possession charge. Seeing these eye-popping statistics regarding the amount spent to continue Prohibition and ruining countless lives for small possessions really made me think we are continuing Prohibition. Now we know the disadvantages, but what are the advantages of ending prohibition? Returning to the source Carmen Yarruso's Top Ten Reasons to Legalize Marijuana Now, she states not only the negative aspects of prohibition, but also describes the positive aspects of ending it. One of the most notable benefits of ending marijuana prohibition would be the restoration of our ability to grow and use hemp for productive purposes. As described, hemp can be used for numerous textile products such as paper, clothing, fuel and plastic. However, under current federal law, it is illegal to grow hemp in the United States, preventing us from utilizing its resources. He also explains that we can prevent Mexican drug cartels from providing an exponential amount of funding from their marijuana smuggling operations by legalizing the plant. This would not only significantly cut cartel funding, but would also raise millions of dollars in taxes for the federal government to eliminate a large chunk of our federal debt. To support this claim in another article “The Tale of Two Drug Wars” it is explained that in the state of Washington, where marijuana is legal, it is expected to raise 400 million dollars from taxes on recreational marijuana, not including taxes on medical marijuana..