Pubdate: Thu, 31 Jan 2013 Source: Herald, The (Everett, WA) Copyright: 2013 Lucas Doney Contact: http://www.heraldnet.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/190 Author: Lucas Doney ENFORCEMENT COSTS WILL GO UP I am concerned about the legalization of marijuana in our state for several reasons. First, marijuana is a drug. It impacts the user's ability to make decisions and impairs their judgment. This could put the users and the people around them in danger. For example, a driver who has been using marijuana will be impaired with slower reactions behind the wheel and since there is no test for the use of marijuana, the police cannot detect if they have been using it. Making marijuana legal for use by adults 21 and over will expose teenagers and children to the drug and make it more accessible to them. This will definitely result in increased use of marijuana by the children and teenagers of our state and will affect their ability to focus and learn in school and at home and could place them in danger. One of the reasons that supporters use to justify the legalization of marijuana is that it will reduce the cost of law enforcement. I believe that legalizing marijuana and all of the work required to license and police its distribution and use will be more expensive to taxpayers in our state. I am a Boy Scout of America and legalizing marijuana goes against everything I have learned about keeping my body clean and making good decisions that will help keep me and those around me safe. I hope that our legislators will reconsider this law and once again make marijuana use illegal in our state. Lucas Doney, 12 Snohomish - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D