>>>I have no kids of my own...but Ahh yes the old "you don't have kids so you know nothing" statement. Let me point out that in places where they've opted to legalize mj the usage among kids and young people DROPPED (along with all other demographics)...so if you really care about the children then you would want to treat mj as a heath issue not a legal issue. Get them educated about drugs and if needed some sort of treatment instead of tossing them in jail...yes?
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>>I did not pose the question to imply that "you dont know nothing". I just think that peoples attitudes change as a result.
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>Understood.
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>>I consider it as both a health and legal issue.
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>At the moment it's considered far more a legal issue here in the USA than a health one - but part of what I'm saying here is that I feel this is wrong and it should be treated as a health issue. What benefit do you see treating it as a legal one? And did you read the report that started this tread?
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>>I am surprised to hear that usage dropped after legalization, not that it changes my opinion.
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>So you don't want kids on dope and here is a proven way that reduces that and you're against it? You realize how ridiculous that is right?
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>>Where did this occur?
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>Interestingly EVERYWHERE marijuana has been legalized. Do a little bit of googling and you'll find out what I mean.

Amsterdam comes to mind, which i believe has a thriving drug tourist trade. Reading the article by the commission, they appear to conflate the use of opiates and mj into one big issue and together they recommend decriminalization. Which sounds odd to me given the fact that they state "that opiate use increased 34.5 percent worldwide and cocaine 27 percent from 1998 to 2008, while the use of cannabis, or marijuana, was up 8.5 percent." The recommendation also cites other research such as the "Beckley Foundation" report from 2008 which states....

There are clear health harms from cannabis use. A driver who is high on cannabis is at increased risk of a traffic crash. Smoking cannabis probably increases the risk of respiratory disorders. Regular users risk developing dependence on the drug – difficulty in cutting down or quitting. Among the
complex interactions between cannabis use and mental disorders, cannabis use seems to increase the risk of showing psychotic symptoms.’

That same report then points to the "harm" and the "risks incurred through prohibition" which they say "outweighed those [risks] presented by cannabis itself" by basically noting the getting arrested sucks (to paraphrase). That sounds like an odd argument to make and it gives me the feeling that the recent report is engaged in a bit of cherrypicking. I am all for allowing prosecutors and judges to exercise leeway during prosecutions and/or sentencing.