[sensimil]

Originally posted by superjoint

National drug law reform groups – the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) and the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) – supported the Oakland campaign. But DeVries says half the funding came from local residents like himself who believe that regulated marijuana sales will make the drug less available to young people. Tight controls on youth tobacco use have resulted in a drop in teen smoking, whereas drug war tactics have not lowered the number of teens smoking cannabis. A study released in May by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 21.9% percent of teens reported smoking cigarettes within the last month while 22.4% smoked marijuana.

"By not having any regulation, young people are just using marijuana and putting themselves in danger and then moving on to other drugs," said Oakland resident Jane Coast, 53, who added her signature to the Oakland Cannabis Initiative one Sunday morning. Settling into a nearby cafe for brunch, Margaret Clasing, 24, also signed but took a different view. "If they use it responsibly I don't think its harmful at all,"said Clasing. "But I think it's safer to regulate it and take it off the street."

its good to see these stats..I wondered what kind of numbers the facts would produce..interesting people!! very interesting!