The debate over marijuana prohibition has been ongoing for years, but with 16 states and DC now declaring medical marijuana legal, the tide is turning. Recently, California enacted a new law titled The Regulate Marijuana Like Wine Act of 2012 that will be voted on in the upcoming election season. Marijuana reform has become such a large debate for many reasons, including personal liberties, medicinal benefits, and states' rights. The federal government has outlawed the possession of cannabis since 1937, after every state had made the same decision, so throughout the country marijuana was illegal. Since then there has been a war on drugs that has focused primarily on cannabis, hence the major conflict between states' rights and federal law. The main positions of marijuana legalization are for or against; it barely varies between recreational use and medicinal use, versus its complete ban. The main reason people are against legalizing marijuana is because the issue doesn't affect them one way or the other, so there is often no compromise. Among those who favor legalization, the differences are wider, some are for full legalization where adults can use marijuana at will, for legalization and regulation similar to wine regulations, for legalization for single use strictly medicinal. For my purposes we will only discuss the regulation of marijuana as well as wine, as the law proposes. The two articles on this specific issue come from Cannabis Culture: Marijuana Magazine and Newsreview.com. The first, Battle of the Marijuana Bills: Why 'Regulate' is Better Than 'Repeal,' discusses the California law in contrast to another similar law, the Repeal Cannabis Prohibition Act of 2012 (RCP), and the different… .half sheet...... News and Events. 08 September 2011. Web. 05 October 2011. "Legalize.org » History of cannabis prohibition." Legalize.org. 2005. Network. 05 October 2011. .Malmo-Levine, David. "Battle of Marijuana Laws: Why 'Regulate' is Better than 'Repeal' | Cannabis Culture Magazine." Cannabis Culture Magazine | Marijuana magazine. 29 September 2011. Web. 05 October 2011. "Regulating marijuana like wine | The initiative." Regulate marijuana like wine | BY REGULATING marijuana, the economy can support growth, improve safety, and support industry development. Network. 05 October. 2011. .