In 1923, Washington state passed a racially-based law prohibiting marijuana. Many other states passed similar laws, all intent on driving Mexicans out of our country. It was absurd to think that all Mexicans smoke pot for one, and two, to think that would force them to move back to their "native" lands. There have been drives to make marijuana legal ever since then. In November 1998, Initiative 692, legalizing medical marijuana for certain medical patients with a doctor's authorization was passed overwhelmingly by Washington state voters. Currently, there are 13 states that have passed similar laws and more are considering such legislation. [continues 515 words]