There are inherent dangers in many of the recreational activities, drugs, substances and many things in our society today. Alcohol comes to mind pretty quick. Of course we don't want kids smoking pot or drinking alcohol. We don't want them carrying guns to school, bullying other kids, etc., etc., etc. However, as an adult, I believe I can make the decision for myself as to whether I want to indulge in behavior that may be dangerous to my well being (sky diving, skiing, snow boarding, scuba diving all come to mind as potentially dangerous acitivities) or if I want to drink alcohol or smoke pot. I understand the concerns of people who are hesitant to make marijuana legal. But, the truth is: It is beyond time to do so. We cannot afford to keep it a criminal offense and waste precious public resources on it as we have done for a very long time with no perceptible success whatsoever. More people are smoking pot today than there ever were in the 60's. To those who say there are medical concerns; of course there are. There are medical concerns with just about everything we do, eat, drink in this day and age. These are not valid reasons for keeping it illegal or out of the hands of consenting, of age adults. Using Kennedy and other's reasoning, we should also bring back prohibition because alcohol consumption is much more medically dangerous than pot ever will be. Personally, I would prefer to have the driver coming at me on a dark night high on pot than drunk on alcohol. Which anyone of age can get at any road side establishment with a liquor license. What we need is more personal responsibility not more governmental interference in our personal lives.

It's 2013 and we're still comparing the harms of cannabis to tobacco?  Tobacco kills FOUR HUNDRED THOUSAND people per year in the United State. Cannabis kills ZERO people per year.

Sorry to see this unabashed reefer-madness propaganda still showing up in the Globe.