Legalization of marijuana

Emily's post "Should marijuana be legal or not ?" can be found here

It is definitely time for the United States do decriminalize marijuana. Over the past years, the U.S has spent billions fighting a pointless war on marijuana. This is due to tens of thousands that have been imprisoned due to possession of the substance. In order to get to the point where recreational use of cannabis is legal, we have to take baby steps. We have to begin by reducing the penalties for possession just like other governments have begun doing. Only then can we begin to think about using it for medicinal purposes and so on. As for those who like to abuse the drug, we should treat them just as any nicotine addict. Get them help and not incarcerate them. Study's show that those who imprisoned for a crime are far more likely to commit the crime again, leading use to a circular slippery slope. Isn't it ironic how a partnership for a drug-free America has been largely funded by cigarette, alcohol and pharmaceutical companies? Thousands of Americans die every year from taking ibuprofen and aspiring yet no one on congress has ever called for a war on pharmaceutical drugs such as Advil. I'd also like to affirm the fact that in over decades of recorded use no one has overdosed on marijuana.