[unlearner]

"There is not a single illegal drug that is as addictive or as lethal as tobacco. And there are very, very few legal drugs that are as harmless and benign as marijuana. Caffeine, aspirin, even vitamin A are all more toxic than pot."

First of all, toxicity is not the correct measure of the harmfulness of a substance. Like you said, vitamin A can be toxic, yet our bodies need it. Marijuana is is a mind altering, addictive drug.

"There is nothing that we know of that is more addictive than nicotine, although caffeine comes close. Even heroin falls short."

Nonsense. I know people (including my father) who simply chose to stop smoking. It was not easy at first but nothing compared to a heroin addict going through withdrawal.

"Put the drug trade in the hands of reputable businessmen with licenses they do not want to lose, and you may see the availability of drugs to children decrease."

More nonsense. Children and teenagers today drink more than during prohibition because of accessibility.

Drugs are about two things: getting high and controlling people. These are not worthy causes in my book. I will continue to vote for leaders who oppose drug legalization because I would rather pay the cost of enforcement than the cost of the alternative.

[Politicalities]

First of all, toxicity is not the correct measure of the harmfulness of a substance. Like you said, vitamin A can be toxic, yet our bodies need it. Marijuana is is a mind altering, addictive drug.

Marijuana is mind-altering, as are alcohol and caffeine, but it is not addictive. Marijuana users experience neither physical dependence nor tolerance nor withdrawal, the measures of addiction.

Nonsense. I know people (including my father) who simply chose to stop smoking. It was not easy at first but nothing compared to a heroin addict going through withdrawal.

Boy, do people on the pro-Prohibition side like to cite anecdotes. It doesn't matter that anecdotes are statistically meaningless; you guys sure do love them so. Never mind your father and friends. The relapse rate for those who attempt to give up nicotine is much higher than that for those who attempt to give up heroin. My sincere congratulations to your father; assuming he stays tobacco-free, he's managed to accomplish something that 90% of smokers fail to do.