Slippery slope

There have been several problems assoicated with, if not caused by, the prohibition of marijuana . The largest problem being that an overwhelming majority of those arrested for marijuana-possession related crimes are those at the bottom of the chain. They only use; they don't sell. So, that is a large cost to society with many of these people being incarcerated due to 3-strikes-laws, racial profiling, or being at the bottom of the socio-economic ladder. Net result is a large cost to society, and a prison mentality which all but guarantees high recidivism rates. Most of these people would better serve society by remaining in the work force.

On the other hand, use of heroin, crack, and meth lead to major problems related to abuse and addiction. Such people are less likely to have a positive benefit by remaining in the work force, and have a much higher likelihood of having the same plethora of problems as do alcoholics. Also, a higher percentage of these hard drug users will be selling the product as well. Trafficking or dealing hard drugs has a higher likelihood of having an adverse affect on society than is the case with marketing marijuana.

For those, as well as market-related concerns, one has a much better foundation from which to propose an and to prohibition of marijuana. On the other hand, no such position can be used as a basis for which to propose an end to prohibition of heroin, etc.

Plainly and simply then, those who are trying to use the slippery slope argument as a basis for continuing the prohibition of msrijuana have no ground to stand on.