So are we to believe that people are not already driving under the influence of marijuana!?
When alcohol prohibition ended there was no sudden surge of new alcoholics. The fact is, that you can lock up 3/4 of the nation, burn 50,000 acres of marijuana fields and in the end, still have users and sellers! in other words,Weed is here to stay!
As for kids, there was a study done that showed that 15% of 8th graders had tried marijuana. That is 15% of kids who had purchased it from someone who does not care how old you are or how young you are. These are also the same people that are more then likely the go to guys for the harder stuff cocaine/heroin. If you regulate it, this would actually make it harder for kids to get it.

The problem is not going to go away. people are always going to smoke weed be it good for you or bad for, illegal or legal. The question is to we as tax paying Americans wish to continue to dump money into something that will never go away!?

I myself think about all the good, hard working, responsible, Americans who's lives are ruined because they got arrested for using a natural substance that is by far less harmful then alcohol and tobacco!

Just for the record, I do not smoke marijuana so my motives cannot be questioned here. This is a bogus war that cannot be won and it needs to end NOW!
"Prohibition...goes beyond the bounds of reason in that it attempts to control a man's appetite by legislation and makes a crime out of things that are not crimes. A prohibition law strikes a blow at the very principles upon which our government was founded."
Abraham Lincoln,
December 1840

"The importation and sale of marijuana is condemned and punished as a serious crime, but we accept as legitimate the manufacture and sale of an infinitely more addictive and deadly drug: the nicotine in cigarettes that cost the lives of 390,000 American citizens last year."
Jimmy Carter
1990

"Penalties against possession of a drug should not be more damaging to an individual than the use of the drug itself; and where they are, they should be changed. Nowhere is this more clear to me than in the laws against possession of marihuana in private for personal use. . . . Therefore, I support legislation amending Federal law to eliminate all Federal criminal penalties for the possession of up to one ounce of marihuana."
President Jimmy Carter
Speech delivered to Congress
1977

"In any civilized society, it is every citizen's responsibility to obey just laws. But at the same time, it is every citizen's responsibility to disobey unjust laws."
Martin Luther King Jr

"The prestige of government has undoubtedly been lowered considerably by the prohibition law. For nothing is more destructive of respect for the government and the law of the land than passing laws which cannot be enforced. It is an open secret that the dangerous increase of crime in this country is closely connected with this."
Albert Einstein,
"My First Impression of the USA," 1921

Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food."
The Bible
Genesis 1:29

I myself do not smoke, but with that said its not because of ignorance and propoganda thats fed to us about the substance.The only points i see or hear from the opposition are bogus and just plain ignorant.The oppostions main point is its not good for public safety and health.Well...if the government is so worried about our safety and health, then why is alcohol and tobacco legalized? Thats a cop out.Anybody with a brain knows that Alcohol and Tobacco are far more dangerous.Thats not my opinion,do some research.Anybody who drinks alcohol and wants to keep marijauna illegal is an ignorant hypocrite.
Also, regulating it like alcohol takes it out the black market.Its easier for high school kids to get marijuana then to get a beer.that is also not an opinion.Some of you believe in movies too much, if you believe in Reefer Madness then you might as well believe in Freddy Krueger.We show the presidential ball on tv with everyone enjoying alcoholic beverages, yet alcoholic beverages kill more people a year then any kind of illegal drug.But our countrys leaders can enjoy it.We show it on tv for the superbowl and yet thats one of the worst days for alcohol related car accidents.Yeah, the government really does care about public safety and health.

In some parts of California, medical marijuana dispensaries are available. These have actually cut back on the number of "nuggets" whisperers roaming the streets in these areas. The cause and effect is obvious. Why would someone continue to buy product of unknown quality and quantity from some shady 14 year old gang member when they could get a doctor's recommendation to patronize a dispensary?

Some people are afraid of the "message" that having well-run businesses selling marijuana sends. It sends the message that not only are these operations functional, but they attract less bums than liquor stores and bars do. This sends another clear message that drug warriors don't want us to know: medical marijuana patients are not the same as alcoholic bums. The loudest message that these places send which is the worst one for the anti-cannabis folks is that without the corner kids pushing illegal flowers to their peers, these same flowers become the boring medicinal herb that they actually are.

Nobody sees a line of high school kids outside of the herb store to pick up kava kava, opium lettuce, ephedra, etc. It's not because those herbs won't get you blasted high, they are just not very exciting.

The Government know why it's a legal and they want to keep it that way off of Racism,Fear,Protection of Corporate Profits, Yellow Journalism,Ignorant,Incompetent, and/or Corrupt Legislators, Personal Career Advancement and Greed. More ...
Legalizing marijuana would be great, to all the ones don't agree DON'T DO IT is a choice their not saying once they legalize it everyone has to do it. Studies and proof among people who do smoke marijuana has no effects like alcohol and tobacco. If the government was so worry about the American People they wouldn't even had alcohol and tobacco out in the first place it just to show you they are hiding the truth from us. With these cheesy bogus commercial about making you lazy, your a loser, and wont be successful in life are all lies. Many Presidents, Athletes, Entertainers, and successful people have done it or doing it still an haven't fail it what there doing. Quit with the lies and all this stalling about "Are they going to legalize marijuana" an just do it all already. Have rules if anyone is caught more then there supposed to have fine them. If some people will like to grow in it in their own home make them pay for a permit permission to have two small planter pot, permits expires every 6 months make them pay every time if they don't comply fine them next strike take away their permit. No smoking in public if so fine them, anyone trafficking product take them away and fine them. If no one pays there fine threat them like regular people with tickets pay for put them or in jail. With these fine the states can collected more money and the police have more time to look for harder crimes and still control the issue if someone is not following the law. STOP all this nonsense putting people to jail for a plant that doesn't hurt, kill,effect, or get additive too

MARIJUANA GROWS UP TO 20 FEET A YEAR...REDUCE GLOBAL WARMING...REDUCE GLOBAL DISEASE THROUGH INCREASED OXYGEN...WHILE CONSUMING C02...GROW WEED EVERYWHERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!