think it is, are more likely to move onto using much more dangerous drugs, like opiates and others. In fact, a child 12-17 years old who uses marijuana is 85 times as likely to use cocaine as a child who does not.6 And the facts on cocaine are very clear. When compared with alcohol, marijuana seems like it too should be legalized. But it's abuse power may be up to 7 times that of alcohol. "Opiates, cocaine, and cannabis in minute amounts cause much greater disturbance in the brain mechanisms controlling behavior than does alcohol in larger amounts, and a greater incidence of compulsive drug-oriented behavior resulting in frequent daily intoxication."7 Surveys in countries where the use of marijuana is accepted show that it has a much greater addictive power than alcohol. In alcohol-consuming countries such as our own only 6-8% of all alcohol consumers drink enough to get drunk on a daily basis. But in Jamaican villages, where marijuana is freely available and socially accepted, 50% of the marijuana users consume it heavily every day.8 But there are people who strongly believe that it is our right to use marijuana as a medicine, and we should stop prosecuting it's use as a crime. There are over 300,000 people arrested a year with marijuana charges, and one-third of our federal prisons are filled with drug charges. "It costs so much money to enforce this stupid law. It is not a very thought out law. Hamden spends tens of thousands of dollars on cars, gas, and training on busting kids with marijuana." Said the police officer I interviewed. The government spends 10 billion dollars on drug enforcement, and hundred of millions more housing and feeding drug dealers and users.9 If marijuana was legalized, we could save all of that money and prison space for the people who are really endangering society, like the murderers and rapists. The evidence of marijuana's harm to society just doesn't have enough strength. There has not ...
