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“Exactly how would this put our whole society at risk, “especially our children”? I’m guessing that you don’t have a concrete answer for that. There is no answer you can give that doesn’t already exist within a country where marijuana is illegal throughout.”

I think I have answered this. It will increase, not decrease the crime rate, and those crimes will be worse than marijuana pushing. It creates a state that draws drug users to it and the state will have to pick up the costs of those who abuse the drug instead of merely using it. It lessens the public approbrium of drug intoxication. It exposes the children to pushers wanting still to illegally push marijuana. I haven’t even mentioned the medical aspects of regular marijuana use or drug intoxication, particularly on young people. My point is that the real ramifications of this policy change may, and most likely will, be catastrophic for the next generation and the generations after that, all so the current folks can enjoy their occasional buzz. All of that is danger to our society.

As to widespread acceptance, I don’t know. I don’t associate with known drug users. How many of my acquaintances use it, I can’t say, but they certainly keep it hidden if they do. I know that publicly it has been largely unacceptable until the past twenty years or so since “I didn’t inhale”. There has been a concerted effort by many to make it acceptable and claim it is widespread. I haven’t looked at reliable numbers who claim to be otherwise law-abiding folks who use it regularly. But I think the number who try it, and who end up using it regularly, are quite different.

It will increase, not decrease the crime rate, and those crimes will be worse than marijuana pushing. It creates a state that draws drug users to it and the state will have to pick up the costs of those who abuse the drug instead of merely using it. It lessens the public approbrium of drug intoxication. It exposes the children to pushers wanting still to illegally push marijuana. I haven’t even mentioned the medical aspects of regular marijuana use or drug intoxication, particularly on young people.

All of these things you mention, with the exception of the increase in crime, are already occurring or have occurred in society as it is now, and there is no putting that genie back in the bottle. Quite frankly, I think that the criminalization of marijuana and other drugs is part of what made them so popular. It's the forbidden fruit aspect, I suppose.

As for the increase in crime, I simply don't see that happening, nor do I see any reason that it would happen. Has there been an increase in crime since the medical marijuana laws went into effect? Given the laxness of the law, it is a de facto decriminalization of marijuana. Has there been more crime? I don't think so.

The rest of the deleterious effects of marijuana still exist while marijuana is illegal, but add to that the legal and constitutional abuses of the drug war, and the creation of a huge black market source of income for the cartels, and you have a triple whammy. Legalization is worth a try.