Marijuana issue generates feedback

Few topics are more controversial than the legalization of marijuana, and few recent editorials have generated more feedback than ours on Dec. 31: "Colorado pot laws likely to affect Nebraska (http://bit.ly/19F3JZH)."

One questioned our statement "Why would a state legalize a drug seen as a gateway to other more dangerous substances?"

"Scientists long ago abandoned the idea that marijuana causes users to try other drugs: as far back as 1999, in a report commissioned by Congress to look at the possible dangers of medical marijuana. Read more: Marijuana as a Gateway Drug: The Myth That Will Not Die | TIME.com http://healthland.time.com/2010/10/29/marijuna-as-a-gateway-drug-the-myth-that-w...

Note we said "seen" as a gateway drug, and the fact remains that many "see" pot coming through many of the same channels that also deliver harder drugs.

There were many comparisons to alcohol:

"You do know that Nebraska is a 'decriminalized state.' First-offense marijuana possession is a civil infraction akin to jaywalking," one reader posted.

"It is most likely that Nebraska will approve of marijuana sales. Not so much so that it is a good policy - but rather that it is no worse than alcohol sales - it being such that alcohol may be a worse drug."

"No amount of law will ever curb the demand. It creates a void which is being filled by unregulated, dangerous substances which can be purchased at the local gas station.

"Prohibition did not work the first time and it is not working now. It is doing much more harm than good."

"Does the cash generated from alcohol sales pay for the cost incurred by broken families and lower employee productivity as a result of alcoholism? There are hundreds of thousands of examples of the results of alcoholism; broken families, drunk driving deaths, cirrhosis, etc., etc. Can you give me any documented results of broken families and lower productivity from marijuana use?"

"No. Sales of alcohol does not even come close paying for the wreckage of ruined lives. That is why I do not participate in such activity. If your own observations of drug use cannot convince you of the consequences of drug use, yes weed is a drug, then read this.

https://www.ncjrs.gov/ondcppubs/publications/pdf/mj_rev.pdf

"I'm by no means promoting or condoning marijuana use. What I AM doing is asking Nebraskans to use common sense in regards to this matter. Let's not bury our heads in the sand on this issue.

"In regards to your link provided, it's from the federal government. You know, the same government that reaps billions of $$$ from tobacco and alcohol use. The federal government is perfectly O.K. with these drug addictions, evidently you are also?"

While one reader asked "what does anyone gain from marijuana being illegal?" another offered the following observations:

"Your take on Colorado's legalization, in my opinion is the wrong way to look at this topic. Nebraska has been lucky not to follow other states into the financial roller coaster facing States like Oregon Michigan and Illinois. Nebraska has a unique opportunity to turn the legalization of marijuana into a massive financial positive for our state. Colorado is looking at the recreational side, take that further and add industrial hemp to that and more people could be harvesting money right off a plant. There's hundreds of uses for the plant other than just getting high.

"Look everyone knows alcohol and tobacco are bad for health, and yet Nebraska as a state consumes mass amounts of both without batting an eye, why not legalize marijuana here?"