Correlation does not equal causation. Do you have the moral authority to tell me what I can do with my own body, when it will never do anything to harm anyone elses body? Do they have any citations for the amount of harmful carcinogens? Marijuana has killed NO ONE. EVER. The only associated deaths are from an unjust war on harmless usage. The illicit and violent trade of marijuana is caused by Its prohibition. You want to help keep kids away from marijuana? Then legalize it! Kids today can get it easier than alcohol.

@Chad

Drug use isn't a "victimless" crime. Yes, when you do drugs you are doing damage to your body and the bodies of others. Drug use funds a global network of evil that finances everyone from al qaeda to the taliban to organized crime gangs and mafias. And yes, we have a right to stop you from doing drugs.

You realize the real reason it's illegal is becuase it would drop the bottom out of the textile and paper industries. Alcohol is indeed more harmful. Tobbacco does indeed cause more cancer. However they are both still very legal. Why woud that be?

Prohibition only strengthened Organized Crime, it didn't stop or slow alcoholism. Legalizing Marijuana and using it the way the Founding Fathers did, would be a very good thing for us. Hemp fibers are far superior to cotton and tree based cellulous. Hemp paper lasts longer is far cheaper to produce. Hemp clothing far outlasts cotton. Hemp rope is by far one of the best natural types known to man.

But the textile industry does not want you in lasting clothing, you HAVE to buy next year's styles. The paper industry does not want you to have cheap renewable paper. The want you to pay the premium on their tree and cotton based paper products.

Marijuana usage should be legalized then controlled and regulated the same way alcohol and tobacco are. If you are dumb enough to use any of the three to excess, you deserve the damage to your own body and you deserve the harsh treatment the laws provide for DUIs.

This would solve the problem we have with the Mexican Cartels and their illicit trade. Dry up their funding source, erode their power.

Legallizing Marijuana is by no means the same thing as legalizing narcotics and hallucinagenics . Hemp fibers properly cultivated and utilized could do so much for our world, but they aren't because some misunderstandin g people want to lump them in with the narcotics and hallucinagenics . A misunderstandin g perpetuated by the textile and paper industries.