This proposal would lead to more use of a harmful substance, harmful to users as well as those subjected to "contact high" effects and actual highs as a result of the passive inhalation of marijuana smoke. These effects gave major civil liberties implications for non-users. My work discussing such effects is posted at http://groups.google.com/group/GordonDrugAbusePrevention/ or contact me at pgordon@erols.com Also for other references on effects, see Dr. Stuart Reece's article “Cutting The Gordian Knot of Drug Addiction Confusion..."at http://www.globaldrugpolicy.org/2/4/2.php . With regard to the policies that are needed, I believe that there should be an increasing emphasis on effective diversion programs (including drug court programs) and early intervention (with judicial backup but no record if successful re-education and treatment are completed). Such approaches need to go on hand in hand with a massive prevention-education effort aimed at helping dissuade users from using a substance that has such negative effects on their mental, psychological,and physical health, on the health of those in their proximity as well as the overall well being of society.

Both of the following works of mine are available along with other articles on drug abuse prevention at http://groups.google.com/group/GordonDrugAbusePrevention/ or contact me at pgordon@erols.com for file copies: "Resolving the Controversy Regarding the Effects of Marijuana Use" (Journal of Drug Education) "Cigarette Smoke and Marijuana Smoke as Environmental Health Hazards and Infringements on the Civil Liberties of Those Subjected to Passive Inhalation" (This paper written as an HEW Fellow includes a discussion of research on the effects of marijuana including research bearing on contact high and "flash back" phenomena.)

A friend of mine does not want this to pass, because He sells weed up here and doesn't want to see the price drop. No one wants this bill to fail more than the drug cartels, NO BODY. Imagine any major company having to cut prices by 70% maybe 80% and not loosing billions. but hey...they stay in Mexico so who cares right? Want to make drug dealers happy? ....vote "No" so they can stay paid. In my opinion "drug intervention programs" are a sad, sad, sad joke on my generation by the baby boomers. And we'll get to pay for it Your thought process here is clearly flawed..... you are simply not getting it, if you think DARE helped a single kid say NO.... Hear me on this.

Why stop at marijuana? You better include cocaine, ecstasy, heroin, etc. We ALREADY have legalized pain pills, but are not collecting taxes when they are used as street drugs. And don't forget to add prostitution and pornography to the list to leglaize and tax! You could make a fortune.

will ca subsidize the "pot fees" for the poor who cannot afford to buy mj?

Yes, drug policy is working great in this country isn't it so let's keep putting in more money to incarcerate people and stigmatize them and every other negative thing we can do. Alcohol Prohibition did not work and neither had the drug prohibition. Why keep it criminal and putting billions into the hands of criminal? It is about time that we recognize where the real harm comes from. Show me one study that shows the debilitating harm that marijuana causes! It is probably the least harmful of all drugs including alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine. The only reason that marijuana leads to other drugs is that the same dealers have the other drugs and offer them when the pot is gone. I think most open-minded people realize the value to society of legalizing pot. The real harm comes from keeping it illegal and keeping it in the hands of the criminals!

Legalize it, alcohol is far worse for the body, and look at what kind of money that brings in.People will always do drugs (legal or illegal), so why not let it benefit everyone?

If marijuana use becomes legal as is alcohol and tobacco, and marijuana use rises to the same levels as these two drugs, the cost to society will far outweigh any benefits from taxing. No one feels the taxes on alcohol and tobacoo right now begins to compensate for the cost to society and to the government in medical and other health cost like uninemployment, SSI and MediCal etc

Legalizing this drug would put more of our children and society in harms way. This a mood altering substance and many people can not just use it once and quit. The composition of the drug has changed from the 60's and 70's and it will just help to put more people on assistance because it does take away the drive to be productive. Of course not in all cases but people that are addicted to it, this will just be worse. The legal part of freeing up the police from this...well look at all the costs from the use of alcohol...drunk driving, domestic violence, accidents/shootings, etc...it will cost more in the long run. I believe we all need to look else where for helping with needed money not pry on trying to hurt the society and our children more!!

Decriminalization of marijuana and other drugs would have significant bad effects; however, the costs of continuing the current policy far outweighs those costs (just wait until the violence tearing apart Mexico comes to your town).

Oregon native: DARE was a prevention program that was NOT created by preventionists but was created by police officers. No matter what your stance is about marijuana legalization, the prevention field does have education programs and a variety of other strategies that have proven to be effective in decreasing teenage substance use. Our government simply doesn't spend very much money on prevention.

Where's the sense in keeping the failing "war on marijuana" tactic going? It's gotten us nowhere except in more of a problem since D.A.R.E. is epically failing and so are the officers who arrest someone just for HAVING the drug on the persons. Currently, tax-payers are spending $94.87 per DAY to simply keep a convict of possession of marijuana in jail. Do the math folks. Imagine what California's daily cost is. It's been almost 75 years since the banning of weed in the U.S. It's 2009. Time to rethink the way we do economics.

Not from Califonia,but I see this as a great idea for our nation as a whole. Plus Alcohol and Marijuana not a fair compare these two: Niether as the impairment factor and esp. realted to violence,domestic or otherwise. Example: The two alcohol intoxicated individual in a restarant will come to blows over a plate of corn, where as two marijuana impaired persons will only irritate you with nonsical laughter. If leagalized then maybe marijuna smokers could get jobs? I for one would rather work beside a person that smoked pot the night before, than a person who's nursing a alcoholic hang-over?

One way I try to determine what the knowledge base might be of a person who seems unaware of the harmful effects of marijuana is to pose these questions: 1) Do you know of research that refutes Harris Isbell's findings that there can be idiosyncratic psychotomimetic effects from the administration of delta 9 THC in human subjects? 2) Do you know of research that disproves the research findings that marijuana smoke can be inhaled by bystanders who then can experience idiosyncratic effects? 3) Do you know of the research in humans and animals showing the deleterious changes in lung tissue as a result of exposure to marijuana smoke? 4) Do you know that contact high and flashback effects occur as a result of the use of marijuana and do not think that the occurrence of such effects has any consequences? 5) Do you see any deleterious impacts to the civil liberties of others when they are unwillingly or unwittingly subjected to marijuana smoke or contact highs? For further references and discussion of the effects mentioned here, see http://groups.google.com/group/GordonDrugAbusePrevention/ or contact me at pgordon@erols.com .

Paula, your agenda is showing. 1. Do you know of Donald Tashkin NIDA funded research that showed no elevated risk of lung, head, mouth or nose cancer even in long-term, chronic cannabis only smokers? 2. Do you know of Melanie Dreher's NIDA funded research in Jamaica that found that children born to woman who smoked cannabis regularly through their confinement did better on the 30 day evaluations than the cannabis deprived control group. And that follow-up studies done five years later showed the cannabis babies doing just as well or better than the control group? 3. Do you know that contact highs and flashbacks can occur to video game players? 4. Do you know that the only people who are afraid of idiosyncratic psychotomimetic effects are insecure anal retentives who believe that we must all think and feel exactly the same way all the time so that we can predict behavior and be safe (as if that was ever possible in this world).

5. Are you actually comparing an unwelcome whiff of cannabis smoke with getting thrown in jail, having your property and money seized, having your children taken away, or being accidentally shot in a bungled drug raid at the wrong house? Ms. Gordon - you are selling a service. Your livelihood depends on the continued erroneous characterization of cannabis as a dangerous drug, when in fact it is a medicinal herb with a side effect of mild euphoria. Do not blame social ills on a plant. By the way, how come you are not concerned that Americans watch 30 hours of television each week? Now, THAT is a horrible waste of minds.

After the conclusions of the deliberations in Independence Hall, Benjamin Franklin was asked later by a woman what kind of a government the new nation had. He is said to have replied: “A republic Madame, if we can keep it.” A new question: If we sanction or tacitly encourage the recreational and/or chronic use of psychoactive drugs, including marijuana, and if we do not actively discourage their use, can we still keep our republic? I think not, since keeping our republic depends on an educated and informed psychologically and mentally healthy and stable citizenry who value the common good and who are capable of bring sound reasoning, good judgment, the exercise of common sense, and understanding to bear on recognizing and addressing exceedingly complex and challenging problems and threats that are currently looming before us. (continued below)

Answers to the five earlier questions can clearly reflect a very different set of values and assumptions concerning what kind of nation we want America to be, and what kind of nation and what kind of world we want to pass on to the future generations. The answers can also reveal very different knowledge bases concerning the effects of psychoactive drugs and very different perspectives on what constitutes mental health and what the value of mental health is. From my vantage point, playing Russian Roulette with anyone's mental and psychological health is simply not a smart thing to do. Turning any part of the United States into an Amsterdam or letting it evolve into an Amsterdam would seriously undermine our capacity to realize the promise of America and, from my perspective, it would throw to the winds the great gifts that the Founding Fathers bequeathed to us and entrusted to our keeping, the same gifts that following generations have fought to keep.

What differece will legalization be on these studies? Can't unwilling or unwittingly contact highs happen criminal or legal? How many under the age of 60 hasent ever smelled pot? Why would you be in the general vacinity of someone smoking if you cared about not getting a contact high? Will those who don't normally smoke pot,suddenly start? I won't. Woulden't studies be easier? Dose it take a study to tell people that ingestion of smoke/chemical is unhealthy? Gate way drug? Whats the study on how many persons in the U.S.thats ever tried Marijuana,are all those people now addicts? Won't marijuana be safer in a controlled enviorment? I asked a medical Doctor,his opinion, he said yes, his rational besides revenue,safety, he told a story of his residency, 52 cases of students hospitalized with chemical burns of the lungs,38 cases traced back to the same growers in Florida, who crop sprayed areas with Paraquot, the growers unaware its a oil base chemical, washed it off with water,and packaged the Marjuana for sale. Warning lables with health information. Accountability to manufactures,taxing for sellers and users, verses current drug dealers? Leagalization seems most logical.

I think our founding fathers wanted us to have a FREE nation, free to make choices, esp. what type of "mind stimules."

I wonder if Paula realizes that many of "OUR" Founding Fathers were advocates of cannabis / hemp and even encouraged spreading the Indian Seed throughout the lands. She also should remember that cannabis was NOT illegal until some tightass white homophobic polititians in the 1930's figured out how to SCARE a nation into believing that cannabis was the Devil's Weed and deemed it illegal and went to GREAT lengths to keep it that way.

A committed user or unquestioning casual user might try an experiment: Cease all use for several months and see what changes there might be with regard to concentration, motivation, short term memory, and long term memory. Observe if there are flashback experiences in times of stress or great anxiety. Observe if there are contact high effects. For those persons, youth and adults, whom I have known over the years, including youth whom I have counseled, I have observed that their behavior has changed and their cognitive capabilities have changed and changed for the better the more time elapses after they have stopped using marijuana. Flashbacks and contact highs also appear to diminish with the passage of time after use is stopped. Such behavioral changes and effects and some physiological reasons for the lingering effects are discussed in my article and my paper that address the effects of marijuana at http://groups.google.com/group/GordonDrugAbusePrevention. The paper on marijuana includes extensive references to the scientific literature. I will be happy to send anyone file copies if you are not able to access the files online. Requests may be sent to pgordon@erols.com

An additional question: Why would anyone today who has studied the evolving scientific literature concerning the harmful effects of marijuana, choose to engage in the recreational or casual use of a substance that they knew could have harmful effects not only on themselves, but also on those nearest and dearest to them, those in their proximity, and even their potential progeny?

Where the persons you cousuled voluntary or court ordered? In the acute clinical area I work few test + for THC. I work with hard core opioid, ETOH, and cocain dependents.Some that have been addictited, for 50 years or more. Did you know that the opioid dependent person don't normally test positive for other drugs or use ETOH? Many say they went straight from ETOH to herion,then giving up ETOH. ETOH and cocain normally go hand in hand, but seldom use THC. ETOH, opiods (used I.V.) and cocaine, are drug of choice for the area I work now.On the West coast it was cocaine,amphetamines,herion (I.V. or snorted and ETOH. In the upper mid-west,its ETOH,Methamphetamins, tobbaco,I did see more THC use there. Many of the herion and ETOH addicts will come in to detox monthly,so they can go to probation clean. Addiction is a pitiful lifestyle. But addiction is within the person not the drug. None of these humans should be inprisioned but treated.They do what it takes to stay out jail,and to get their drug. Not that I think cocaine, herion, meth or ETOH should be legal either. I can't imagine anyone wants to live addicted,and if I ever give up on that thought I will change my profession.

The human body and mind have receptors throughout and are there for a reason. I pose this question then, Why are there Endo-cannabinoids and Eco-cannabinoid? More simply stated: Why does the human body / mind have cannabinoid receptors if they were not meant to RECIEVE cannabinoids, which are only NATURALLY produced by the Cannabis-Sativa PLANT?

I have seen whole families addicted to ETOH and Herion, Grandparents,parents and children.I have never seen this with cannibis,all the people that I know who use cannibis have been of sound mind, creative, artistic, and spritual.One couple I know own a business making and selling their homemade wares,(non drug related),candels, clay pots and jewlery type things. They have well-mannored,educated, children that where taught postive coping skills,who don't use drugs.I know many who 'partaked in the herbage' I was a child of the 70's I'm not innocent,just uptight and anal. Never wittnessed a cannibis only, inpaired person,as a danger to self or others. An addiction is something a person feels they can't live without,and used to cope with pain, depression, anxiety.Maybe you under-estimate your own theraputic interventions that teach positive behavior and coping skills. Medical and psychol-social woes of THC not be placed in the same catagory as ETOH and hard-core DRUGS! Legalize it!

Pleasure-pain receptors for a a non-physical addicting mild euphoric substance, I might add Donald.

I'm just curious as to ETOH. I have no idea what that means.

I am appalled as I read about our leaders discussing the financial “benefits” of waving the white flag of surrender in our ill-fought war on drugs in this country. That California legislators are excitedly discussing how collecting taxes on the legal sale of marijuana could help solve that state’s economic woes is amazing. And this week’s Economist falls right in line, expressing the view that if marijuana (along with other drugs) were made legal, its use could be policed, its sale could be taxed and limited to “appropriately-aged” adults, and public health care could be ready and waiting to help those who abused or became dependent on the substances. Such thinking is nothing more or less than our giving up on our young people. It’s the equivalent of our throwing our hands in the air and sighing, “Oh – it’s just too hard. We can’t win, so let’s just find a way to make the best of it.” I don’t know about you, but I am not about to give up. I expect we’ll be seeing a flood of news pieces and editorials in the coming weeks, largely supporting the white flag strategy. Check in with my web site, http://www.theyoungaddict.com, to learn more as this evolve

Dear Wynn Oleson, Thanks for the information concerning your website at http://www.theyoungaddict.com. Your website will certainly be a help to many looking for hope, support, suggestions, information, and answers, when trying to help young users extricate themselves from enslavement to chronic use and addiction. It should prove helpful to young users and addicts as well in helping them to become unensnared from such debilitating behavior. All best wishes to you with this helpful and supportive service that you are providing to young users and addicts and their friends and families, their teachers and those who know and care about them. Your website should be of help to all those who may be at a loss to know what to do when young people they care for find themselves in such a distressing situation. Wishing you the best with your efforts.

Addenda: From a book review by a psychiatrist,E.S.Dummit, "who treats adolescents with substance dependence disorders". (The book was on the effects of drug use.): "(T)he author glosses over the very real and known physical and mental health risks associated with heavy chronic marijuana smoking..His perspective is that of scientist concerned with the effects of THC, rather than mine, as a physician concerned with the mental and physical health of children who seek my help..It concerns me that (the author) has left a very vital branch of biomedical science out of his review, namely, the epidemiology, comorbidity, and health consequences of cannabis abuse and dependence. While it is true that most people who smoke pot occasionally are probably not going to become addicted or escalate use into more dangerous drugs, it remains the major 'gateway drug' by which adolescents are introduced into the addictive downward spiral that can destroy their lives, if they are one of the unfortunate who are biologically predisposed to addiction..(the author failed) "to review the science of cannabis dependence and the substantial scientific literature on the psychobiology of addictive behavior."

I believe that all would agree, that of all the drugs people become either physically or psychologically addicted to including already legal ETOH (alcohol) that THC is the lesser of theses evils? Is it not also true that some will be sacraficed for the good of the whole? The good of all is a freedom of choice,I won't throw in the towel on that. In a free country to many of our freedom are being taking away,to long many have allowed that to happen for fear they be deemed immoral or not concerned for our young people.As a mother of 4 and a grandmother of 10,I'm neither immoral or disconcerned about young people. I believe that taking back some of those freedoms are just important to the good of our young people. The freedom of all Americans.

This dialogue has been very informative and enlightening. Thank you all for sharing. A couple of thoughts here relating to smoking: we are going through the smoke free era in regards to tobacco. How does smoking anything even mj or green grass from your font yard become a healthy choce for anyone? We all know the harmful effects of smoking. Perhaps adults should be able to choose wether legal or illegal but we tax payers all pay the cost of their deteriorating health and long term care and treatment needs. Our society has not been able to protect our kids from the legal drugs alcohol, tobacco and prescription or over-the-counter drugs, so what makes us think they will be able to do so with legalized mj? Perhaps we can make them all illegal or if we legalize this we need to keep the prices of alcohol, tobacco, and mj high enough to cover the cost of prevention, intervention, law enforecement and treatment forvthose who are affected or succumb to addiction.

Ruth Benedict, a cultural anthropologist, spent much of her career looking for healthy groups and cultures. From her perspective, the Black Foot Indians were one example of a healthy fully functioning "high synergy" group. A high synergy group was one in which the best interests of the individual and the best interests of the group as a whole were in harmony. Abraham Maslow came up with a complementary concept: metamotivation. A metamotivated person is one who functions at the highest, self-actualizing level of the needs hierarchy. A person who is self-actualizing, is psychologically healthy and manifests maturity and understanding. Metamotivated individuals are as concerned for the welfare of others as they are for their own welfare. It seems to me that the Founding Fathers were metamotivated and created a republic that is dependent for its continuation upon successful maintenance of a high synergy society and a compassionate, caring, and educated citizenry. Some food for thought...

BRINNA: 1) show me a pie chart of marijuana users that dont smoke cigarettes and the ones that do. 2)Your not staying on the topic of marijuana like Paula is, so please dont give the government any ideas about taxing television, because that will be next!! 3) It is Paula Gordons right to share her thoughts here. It does not sound like she is selling anything, she sounds like she is passionate and real! 4)It scares and concerns me that anyone in trouble with addiction may seek your kind of help and actually listen to you. I know I dont want my 11 year old daughter exposed to marijuana, she has enough on her mind without trying to add more chaos. You really are disturbing to me. 5) Cigarettes lead to marijuana, marijuana leads to crack and on and on.

Cindy: The difference between tobacco and other smoked substances are that cigareetes and tobacco for rolling are chock full of man made additives that are far worse than cannabis (if grown and consumed from its natural state.)The filters that are in cigarettes are made from more dangerous chemicals than cannabis. I DO AGREE that smoking ANYTHING is going to be harmful to a degree. I also DO NOT promote drug use of any kind but unlike many I DO NOT think people who use drugs should be incarcerated JUST for said drug use.

I would like Frankly to prove No# 5. Opponents of cannabis always use the Gateway theory which is NOT proven. I say that my underwear is a gateway that leads me to put on pants. My socks must be the gateway to my shoes. See how that works without prove. I'm here to let you know that I CAN put on my socks without wearing my shoes but after awhile I start craving my shoes.

Hi Donald, putting your shoes and socks on does not harm society. Your right, there is no proof, but my personal experience is enough for me to buy the gateway theory. So what your really saying is, you can smoke pot without lighting up a cigarette? Or Drink a beer and not smoke pot? I believe you understand my point.

I have seen the harms to society due to cannabis but I believe you and I see this issue in two different ways. I believe the harms done to society are due to the illegal status of cannabis not the use / abuse of the plant. The use and abuse of the plant harms no one except the users themselves. I have not, nor known anyone who went on to use harder drugs because they were not getting high anymore from cannabis and decided to try something stronger. I know lots of people who have been around others at parties who happened to have (lets say )LSD and you have heard the euphoric stories and have wanted to try, so you do. I have been around when people have been PEER PRESSURED into things they normally wouldn't do but don't want to be the chicken or outcast, they just wanted to be part of the IN crowd. I believe the peer pressure explanation rather than the "REEFER MADNESS" perpetuated Gateway Theory. I was just trying to be facetious with the clothing bit.

I tried to read all of these comments...i just couldn't do it. With people like Paula Gordon and Wynn I just get infuriated. We have substances like alcohol in our country which a 21 year old person can walk into a store but a fifth of a product called everclear, drink it, and kill themselves in less than 30 min. But a hardworking american who works for his family cant come home sit in his living room and smoke a joint and relax. Amazing!!! Now I will say this though anyone advocating for keeping kids off drugs is good to go, more power to you, but I want my rights as a productive american to put into my body what I want.