$113 billion is spent on marijuana every year in the U.S., and because of the federal prohibition *every* dollar of it goes straight into the hands of criminals. Far from preventing people from using marijuana, the prohibition instead creates zero legal supply amid massive and unrelenting demand.

According to the ONDCP, at least sixty percent of Mexican drug cartel money comes from selling marijuana in the U.S., they protect this revenue by brutally torturing, murdering and dismembering countless innocent people.

If we can STOP people using marijuana then we need to do so NOW, but if we can't then we need to legalize the production and sale of marijuana to adults with after-tax prices set too low for the cartels to match. One way or the other, we have to force the cartels out of the marijuana market and eliminate their highly lucrative marijuana incomes - no business can withstand the loss of sixty percent of its revenue!

To date, the cartels have amassed more than 100,000 "foot soldiers" and operate in 230 U.S. cities, and Arizona police are now conceding that parts of their state are under cartel control. The longer the cartels are allowed to exploit the prohibition the more powerful they're going to get and the more our own personal security will be put in jeopardy.

Prop 19 is a socially IRRESPONSIBLE proposition. If you read it carefully, all it is proposing is "I have a pot habit. Legalize it so I have the freedom to support my pot habit. Oh, by the way, this proposition will result in this also, if pot is legalized."

A commenter above wrote that $113 BILLION is spent on marijuana every year. Federally produced numbers indicate that there are less than 20 million marijuana users in the US. This means that your "average" marijuana user spends more than $5500 per year on marijuana. We know the 113 BILLION number is pretty accurate.

Based on this number alone, we know there are MANY more users than estimated. We also know that these people who "have a pot habit" are contributing members of society.

Prop 19 simply legalizes what's going on, and has been going on, for a long time. It's better to take things out of the hands of criminals, and if you disagree with that, maybe you need some "pot" to clear your head.

Marijuana is safer than coffee.

Marijuana is not safe. The impaired pot users kill people. Pot users kill more people than coffee drinkers.

Driver of SUV that killed Mt. Lebanon jogger turns himself in
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/s_698165.html

"Cope was charged in the death of Lisa Clay Styles, 36, who was jogging near her Mt. Lebanon home on June 28 and pushing her children ahead of her in a jogging stroller when she was struck by a sport utility vehicle. She died the next day at UPMC Mercy, Uptown.

The criminal complaint charges that Cope, "recklessly or with gross negligence," caused Styles' death when he ran a stop sign at Washington and Beadling Roads.

He initially was charged with driving under the influence of a controlled substance, but additional charges of vehicular homicide, reckless endangerment and involuntary manslaughter were filed last week. The charges also include drug possession."

"Cope and a passenger in the SUV admitted to police that they had been smoking marijuana earlier in the day, according to the criminal complaint.

Cope failed a sobriety test at the crash scene, investigators said.

Police said they later found marijuana at Cope's home and residue of suspected marijuana in the SUV that Cope was driving."

Passage of the CA Proposition 19 will deal a serious blow to the Mexican drug cartels and to the "drug war" in general. It will also restore sanity to the California State budget by collecting sizable Cannabis revenues and eliminating the wasteful spending on the so-called anti-Cannabis "enforcement". It is established by the science of addiction medicine that the so-called "gateway drug" theory, advanced by the opponents of the measure is a complete fantasy, as is the assertion that Cannabis is "physically addictive". Cannabis is NOT physically addictive, as there is no clearly definable and reproducible PHYSICAL withdrawal syndrome, associated with its use, as opposed to truly physically addictive substances such as opiates or alcohol. In fact, the latest addiction medicine research reveals that Cannabis may serve as an "exit" substance with the potential of helping former alcoholics or hard drug users to abstain from alcohol, hard drugs, or even dangerous and physically addictive prescription drugs! It is also being established that Cannabis use may help prevent such serious illnesses as cancer and Alzheimer's disease! Cannabis use also suppresses violent urges and behaviors. Let's not be intimidated by the scare-tactics of the "opponents", but be motivated instead by science, reason and understanding of these issues, and this means voting YES on California Proposition 19 on November 2!

We can save billions of dollars if we would just get on board with legalizing pot.