I am by no means a user of marijuana, nor do I condone its use for recreational purposes, but I think it is time that we decriminalize it. The public is so concerned about the dangers of marijuana, but have they forgotten about the alcohol-related deaths that occur every year? More people die from texting, or drinking while driving than by using marijuana.
The problem with the war on drugs is it is having an opposite effect on our society. Decriminalizing marijuana will reduce drug-related violence. If this substance is decriminalized, it will take the money away from the drug cartels and allow the government to control and regulate it in a safer way.
Law enforcement is currently misusing their time and resources and taxpayers are spending incredible amounts of money to prosecute individuals who are only incarcerated for petty crimes; legalizing marijuana would help law enforcement to focus on more heinous crimes, and taxpayers would save money by not imprisoning these individuals. Furthermore, if we decriminalize, regulate and tax marijuana, we can create revenue to stimulate our economy, putting money into our state where it's needed most.
Rebecca Henry
St. George