Inspired by a recent report that teen marijuana use is up and alcohol use is down, The New York Times is hosting an on-line debate, "Should Teenagers Get High Instead of Drunk?"  A couple of the high-profile debater's arguments are right on the money, highlighting the relative safety of marijuana compared to alcohol.  For example...

In a piece titled, "Not All Drugs are Created Equal," Robert Gable, emeritus professor of psychology at Claremont Graduate University, writes:

No drug is good for teenagers. But when it comes to the chances of immediate death by chemical toxicity, marijuana is about a hundred times safer than alcohol or cocaine. [SAFER emphasis added]

That sentiment is echoed in a piece titled, "The Law Adds to the Harm," by Joseph D. McNamara, a retired police chief of San Jose, Calif., who is now a research fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University:

We shouldn't, of course, recommend to kids that they get high on pot instead of drunk on booze or blasted on coke, but recognizing that they may not be the perfect children that we were, the following facts speak for themselves: No one ever died from using marijuana, unlike alcohol or cocaine. Marijuana tends to mellow people, but we know alcohol and cocaine excites some into violence.

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.