The senior editor of PoliceOne.com, which describes itself as "the most comprehensive and trusted online destination for law enforcement agencies and police departments worldwide," has posted a very interesting article about how "a surprising number of cops are speaking out in favor of legalization."  Particular noteworthy was the following section, in which a couple officers echo what we've been saying for quite some time.

So, what do PoliceOne Members have to say on the matter? Well for starters, I must say that I was more surprised by the emailers than I was by the voters. I was, quite frankly, stunned to see that nearly every email I got on the issue was supportive of some manner of legalization. I’m not kidding — probably nine out of ten emails were pro-legalization. For example:

 “I don't smoke pot and if were legal I still wouldn't. That being said, I believe first that if it were legal there would be fewer people abusing substances. It's hard for us as cops to admit that when it comes to drug laws, most people who abuse substances don't care about the law. Those few who don't smoke pot because it's illegal are probably drinking heavily. Would it make things worse if people stopped drinking and took up pot? When was the last time you arrested a domestic violence offender who was high on marijuana? OK, then when was the last time you arrested a domestic violence offender who was drunk? When was the last time you arrested a domestic violence offender who wasn't drunk? [SAFER emphasis] Legalization will take money and power away from the cartels and the gangs. Murder rates will plummet if gang bangers stop shooting each other, and innocent bystanders.”

Or this one, short and sweet, from someone who wished to remain anonymous:

“As an officer, I would rather deal with someone that has smoked pot, than someone who is drunk. I have never dealt with a violent pot smoker. Usually they are mild mannered compared.”

U.S. Rep. Ron Paul appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno this week to discuss his current bid for the Republican nomination for president.  One thing led to another and the issue of marijuana policy came up, at which point Rep. Paul voiced his support for taking marijuana out of the federal government's hands and allowing states to take it on however they see fit, which generated a strong round of applause from the audience. 

The loudest round of applause, however, came after Rep. Paul noted, "There's more danger with the alcohol than with the marijuana."  The exchange occurs at about 10:28 mark in the video below.

This year's national survey on teen drug use is out and once again it shows marijuana use is increasing and alcohol use is decreasing.  It's receiving coverage from several news outlets, but this particular article from Time Magazine's on-line "Healthland" section caught our eye. 

As Maia Szalavitz reports:

The latest update to the annual Monitoring the Future survey of drug use in American youth bears mainly good news, at least if your interest is in reducing drug-related harm: both teen drinking and cigarette smoking are at historic lows; in fact, past-month marijuana use is now more commonly reported by high school seniors than smoking cigarettes. [SAFER emphasis]

To be clear, we would prefer teens remain drug free, and we have to assume that the folks at Time Magazine would, as well.  But if they are going to use an intoxicating substance, they pose far less harm to themselves and to others if they choose to use marijuana instead of alcohol.  As the article notes:

Alcohol contributes to overdose deaths, significant long-term health problems, serious injuries, and violent crimes, whereas marijuana has never been found to contribute to such problems.  Teens choosing to use marijuana instead of alcohol are in fact making a safer choice. [SAFER emphasis]

We agree all around, as demonstrated by this story by Phil Smith at the Drug War Chronicle, who asked SAFER's Mason Tvert to weigh in:

..."We're always concerned about young people using drugs, but it's clear that more young people are understanding that marijuana is a less harmful substance and making that choice," said Tvert. "While we certainly don't want to promote marijuana use among minors, this report suggests they are making the safer choice to use marijuana rather than alcohol."

Tvert attributed both the rise in teen use and the decline in their perceptions of marijuana's risks to their increasing exposure to knowledge about marijuana.

"Ultimately, people are hearing more and more about the facts surrounding marijuana, and as they continue to hear that marijuana is far less harmful than alcohol, that it doesn't contribute to violence, that there is no danger of a deadly overdose, they are increasingly more comfortable making that choice."