Marijuana

I've noted a number of posts on facebook pertaining to legalizing marijuana. Rather than lighting up a firestorm by "commenting" my thoughts on facebook I'm opting for an entry here.
I agree with many advocates that the "criminalization" of being caught with pot is excessively harsh. Our current laws place a huge burden on local law enforcement, the judicial system, and greatly place a huge burden on the prison/jail system. REFORM of the penalties would greatly lesson these burdens which we, the tax payers are paying for. Being an advocate for lessening the penalties is quite different than legalizing the use of marijuana.

Surely society has MORE THAN adequate ways and means available to us for altering ones reality, and more than enough serious life threatening problems in this country which can result from such options....Talk to anyone associated/working in drug rehab programs all over this country. Talk to the parents of drug addicted children, talk to anyone involved with AA...look at the statistics for the fraud and abuse of prescription drugs. I have many friends who use and don't abuse pot, who use and don't abuse alcohol, and use but don't abuse prescription drugs....and an equal number who do, the result of which have been early deaths, finances and families in ruin, lives in ruin. I don't think we need to legalize yet another means of adding to those risks inherent in reality/mind altering substances. The message legalization gives to kids is not a message I personally can support, it's hard enough for parents today raising children....LEGAL pot will be just one more difficulty parents will be confronting if it becomes legal. Amsterdam today is far from the hip place it was, it's a sewer...the costs of which the country is grappling with. I don't see anything positive that can result from legalizing it, not tax revenue, not anything worth opening that door. Reform the penalties....I'll support that!