My mother was involved all over the state regarding the subject and I have had first hand talks with many inmates myself who have gotten out into half way houses in an attempt to get over the drug dependence and they all mentioned the big role pot had.
Did it ever occur to you or your mother that they are telling you what you want to hear? Most likely it was pot use that led to involvement in the black market, which can lead to more serious criminal behavoir. Did it ever occur to you or your mother that its quite likely that these ex-cons you are dealing with might have never been on the "wrong" side of the law but for prohibition?
While I know explaining this ia a waste of time with you, others will read this and perhaps understand. The biggest problem with the drug laws is the inherent injustice between so-called legal and illegal drugs. The people punished for possession of illegal drugs are being treated unequally before the law. Both legal and illegal drugs share underlying moral hazards and risks, so to punish for one and not the other is to create injustice in the law and therefore in the land. Sadly, self-righteous folks like yourself pat yourselves on the back as you give political support to this injustice.
Why would my mother who helped create a prison ministry and many of the prisoners that I myself have spoken with want to tell me all the same supposedly false story about pot and how they often mixed it with other stuff and got in trouble?
Considering they were mostly injuring or killed others during their violent crimes, I don’t think your political speak about prohibition had a darn thing to do with why they were there. That is among the most ridiculous thing I’ve heard ever.
Get over the recreational drug worshiping folks, you look foolish trying to defend it.
This is most certainly a liberal attribute, nothing conservative about recreational drug use.