It is obvious now that prohibition has failed. I've read what the white house believes an adequate response to this issue is here:
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/response/what-we-have-say-about-marijua...
So now lets all agree that Marijuana is a DRUG. People should have the right to choose what they put into their bodies, and the topic should not be brushed off saying that it is harmful.
Last time I checked alcohol and tobacco kill thousands of people a year and remain legal. However, in all recorded history marijuana has caused 0 overdose related deaths. Why shouldn't the American people tax and regulate this drug alongside other (legal) more harmful ones?
Read up on the Myths here:
http://norml.org/library/health-reports/item/norml-s-marijuana-health-my...