[MarMema]

No. I want the pot already being smoked to be taxed and benefit the state rather than the cartels.

People assume this means more people will smoke it. Wrong. Study after study after study has shown that legalizing a drug actually results in less use of it. What it means is that those who already smoke it will not be jailed and they will pay taxes on it.

Many of the largest public supporters are judges, police officers, attorneys and ex-DEA. That in itself is telling.

marijuana prohibition has done far more harm to far more people than marijuana ever could

a recent study by the World Health Organization showing that the U.S. -- despite being the home of the global "war on drugs" -- has the highest rates of marijuana and cocaine use in the world. Indeed, Americans use drugs at a higher rate than people in other countries that have modernized their laws by treating drugs as more of a health -- rather than a criminal -- issue. It's clear that creating harsh penalties for drugs doesn't reduce use, and the absence of harsh penalties doesn't lead large numbers of people who wouldn't otherwise imbibe to become addicted to dangerous drugs.

[DennisR]

“Study after study after study has shown that legalizing a drug actually results in less use of it.”

Hm...who did these “studies”? Because econ 101 tells you that if it is legal, the cost will (aside from taxes) go down. When cost and the social stigma go down, use will go up. It’s just that simple.