Joyce, your right ...that's the way it's supposed to be...if we choose3 wrong we pay the consequence...that is a truth.
But, the problem with cannabis is that
it is a far more desireable drug than alcohol for many people. Yet, the consequences imposed on these people under the antiquated and ignorant laws on cannabis, result in great harm to
people. It is not the cannabis that is creating the consequences it is the
laws and they need to change on this and fast.

Some people profess to support marijuana prohibition to "protect the children," but prohibition does just the opposite.

Besides turning the control of drugs over to criminals (who don't care who they sell to), when children learn the truth that marijuana is near harmless (for adults), they disbelieve ALL our warnings about drugs and then get into REAL trouble.

Honesty - the best policy.

Paul (10:54PM 5/4): Do you understand that alcohol is a drug? Talk about "rationalization, justification, minimization" if you don't know that! It is so much more deadly than cannabis, there is no comparison. Do you really prefer that mean drunks and pregnant women (you have heard of fetal ALCOHOL syndrome, right?) use alcohol instead of weed?
Liberty and justice for all? Not while alcohol supremacist bigotry rules.

Legalize it all. Any parents out there that are afraid of their kids using drugs are incredibly naive if they think the current drug policy is helping anything. As a resident of Utah I know it is easier for a teenager to buy marijuana, meth, ecstacy, or any other illegal drug than it is for them to buy alcohol or cigarettes. Because DRUGS such as tobacco and alcohol have been legalized the government can monitor the manufacturing and control the sale of those substances. On the other hand illegal drugs are delt to your kids by high school drop outs cooking up meth and acid in their basements, Because the government cant monitor the manufacturing of these drugs users can never know how potent of a product they are getting. I feel our best option is to Legalize all drugs and let them be controlled in the same way alcohol and tobacco are. Prohibition did not work with alcohol and it is not working with drugs.
Before you reply to this post I encourage you to use reason and logic when discussing the subject of illegal drugs. Research the subject yourself.

First an extremely obvious, yet extremely needed step.

DECRIMINALIZE AND TAX MARIJUANA AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
That should increase the amount of funds the government has available. Some of those funds should go directly towards rehabilitation programs and research for truly troublesome substance abuse like alcoholism and heroin addiction.

LEGALIZE HEMP
Growing hemp is a lot more efficient than growing cotton, and it requires less water and other materials. Hemp is also a lot stronger and longer lasting than cotton, which would only be the most sustainable fabric in the market. Hemp also makes a huge variety of products, including bio-plastic, which from what I understand are biodegradable. Legalizing Hemp is Legalizing Sustainability.

Allow more Psychedelic Research
Research that was so promising in the 50s and 60s had to come to a screaching halt thanks to the fearful pockets of corporate entities in the face of a massive social shift.

Promote truthful information regarding psychotropic substances.
Scaring people with propaganda is only pushing the trust away from the people and not really informing the population on the actual dangers of drug abuse.

I honestly don't think anybody should be deprived of freedom because they chose to grow a certain plant. It just makes absolute economic and moral sense to legalize marijuana.