I am always puzzled why so many self proclaimed conservatives are so trigger happy to step on others when it comes to this issue. It is no worse then alcohol so why the bias? It seems to be a generational thing. I'm sure this will change over time with the ever tightening of budgets happen in every community across the country. The policy as it is today makes no sense. Personally I see it as destructive behavior to smoke pot but if someone wants to go to work all day and smoke a joint in their living room I find it hard to rationalize why I have the right to say they can't. The jails are filling up with these offenders and the tax payers burden grows. It is harder for children to get cigarettes then drugs these days so please tell me how this policy is working.
Tax it and send the monies back to the communities for education. Education is the only proven deterrent to this type of behavior.
Not to get down on you here, but I'm kind of growing tired of the whole "Prison is not a deterrent" thing. You know what? Prison IS a deterrent. The death penalty IS a deterrent. The world is absolutely FULL of people who DON'T do stuff because they might go to jail as a result.
For example: When I lived in Seattle, I met Baghdad Jim McDermott and Mike "Yasser" Lowry on several occasions. The only thing that kept me from personally punching McVermin directly in his big mouth is the knowledge that I would go directly to jail for assaulting a member of Congress. I had to settle for calling him a traitorous (extremely imaginative invective deleted) straight to his face. I feel pretty good about that.
My point is that you can't logically prove the non-existence of something, at least not in this case. Education is a good idea. Raising your kids properly is part of education, perhaps the most important part.
And, FWIW, I don't really have a problem with pot being legalized, as long as proper controls are in place. In my experience, it mostly keeps mildly retarded people at home and out of my way.