Star formation occurs within the cold, dense, molecular phase of the interstellar medium that is primarily configured into cloud structures. I will provide a broad overview of giant molecular clouds (GMCs) in the Milky Way. This summary will include the large scale distribution of molecular gas as traced by 12CO spectroscopic observations gathered by the CfA and CTIO 1m telescopes (Dame, Hartmann, Thaddeus 2001).  I will also present panoramic imaging of 12CO and 13CO J=1-0 emission at much higher angular resolution with the 32-element heterodyne focal plane array SEQUOIA on the FCRAO 14 meter telescope.  The high spatial dynamic range and sensitivity of these data reveal the complex gas distribution and kinematics within GMCs and offer insight to cloud physics and the processes
that regulate the production of stars.