QUIT BLOWING SMOKE ON MARIJUANA

When it comes to the debate about legalizing marijuana, it's time for
change. A decision needs to be made. Legal or not. One or the other.
Right now, we have a situation where marijuana is not actually legal,
but many, many turn a blind eye to the green economy growing in the
house-next-door. Police are frustrated by trying to enforce the laws
and judges are handing out increasingly lax penalties for drug
infractions, which isn't doing anything to stop the huge illicit
trade. The fines are laughable, mainly nothing more than the cost of
doing business. and even serious cases, where lives are put at risk by
structure fires with grow-ops inside, the offenders get little more
than probation. So if the general feeling is that marijuana use isn't
all that bad, why not make it legal, so we can have a safe, regulated
industry, similar to the use of alcohol? The government could tax it
to death as with cigarettes and users would pay. This would combat
organized crime, reduce court time and costs and alleviate safety
concerns of grow-ops in homes unsuited for the intensive hydroponic
cultivation. Underage drug use could also be addressed.

If society wants to "Say No to Drugs," then it is time to get tough.
Consequences of drug possession and trafficking need to be swift and
firm. Policing resources are needed to battle the dealers and
sophisticated growers. But this half-way, shades-of-grey approach to
marijuana use is not working for anyone anymore.