Editorial: Open Debate on Marijuana
August 10, 2008
San Gabriel Valley Tribune
Why this country allows its citizens to consume alcohol, but not marijuana, is a bit of a mystery.
Both substances have mind-altering capabilities. Both substances, if abused, can destroy the lives of the user and anyone who crosses the user's path.
But both substances can be used responsibly and moderately, according to Rep. Barney Frank, the Massachusetts Democrat.
And perhaps most importantly, our government spends an inordinate amount of time and money arresting and prosecuting pot users - about 12 million citizens have been arrested on a marijuana-related charge since 1965, according to NORML, an organization that wants marijuana use to be legalized.
Frank announced recently that he would introduce a bill that would decriminalize the possession of less than a quarter-pound of marijuana. Advocates argue that because alcohol is a legal substance, marijuana should be, too. Instead, marijuana should be regulated in the same way as alcohol, and the threat of arrest should be limited for only those whose use affects someone else, such as in the case of driving while intoxicated by the drug. ...
It would be nice if Frank's proposal sparked an honest debate about the effectiveness of the war on pot, especially in a nation grappling with the war on terror, wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and facing the largest deficit in its history. | 
