[ilbegone]

I know people who have had tragedies within their families with drugs, and alcohol as well.

Some decades ago there were a few years I was perpetually stoned out of my gourd, I believe there were quite a few circumstances which would have been much better if that had not been the case.

However, I believe the real scourge is meth. I snorted it just once, and never again. Because I LIKED IT and I've seen people get all sucked up, lose their teeth, age extremely fast, and live in that demented tweeker parallel dimension. No one can be so busy and not accomplish a single thing like a tweeker, and I don't believe that even heroin can turn out such a batch of prolific liars and thieves.

What really is "gateway", would that include coffee? The sugar in commercial snacks? Where is that line really drawn?

My thought is that those who are inclined are going to obtain it, as occurred with alcohol over thirteen officially dry years. It is also a blood soaked product just as booze was during prohibition. And no amount of education, no amount of "Reefer Madness" screenings are going to diminish the demand.

I'm not sure that either proposition 19 or unfettered legalization is the answer. However, I do know that illegal trade has created created wealthy, bloody handed thugs who originated from poverty stricken obscurity.

They need to be broken by taking the profitability out of the marijuana trade, and continued illegality of marijuana will do nothing but finance them and ramp up the body count.