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cigarettes also contain the addictive compound nicotine, which is not present in cannabis. Despite the similarities and potential relevant differences between tobacco and pure cannabis smoke, tobacco is legal and marijuana remains illegal. Also, as published by Scientific American in 2006, marijuana cigarettes are 100 times less toxic to the human body than alcohol. Yet, marijuana is illegal and alcohol is legal. Canada's CBC News reported in January of this year that, between 1993 and 2003, 5% of U.S. drivers tested positive for cannabis and that drivers who heavily smoke marijuana are at 29% higher risk of causing a fatal crash. In that same article, however, it was pointed out that this does not take into account intoxication, which is what matters when looking at impaired driving. A 1990 study from the National Institute on Drug Abuse in Baltimore found that marijuana adversely affects complex human performance for less than 24 hours after smoking, similar to alcohol inebriation, though THC can be detected for up to 2 months depending on the individual's usage. A 2004 report states that alcohol is detected more often in accident-involved drivers than cannabis. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control reports that 39% of traffic related deaths are attributed to alcohol use and that 18% of driver deaths have other drugs used in combination with alcohol, most of which were repeat offenders. It would seem that the legal drugs are causing more adverse health effects than marijuana.

The legislative machinery has been slowly turning to change the place marijuana has in the current society. In 1997, Proposition 215 legalized marijuana in California for medicinal purposes. The Clinton administration made predictions of increased youth drug use, but according to the LA Daily News was proven wrong by a decrease in drug use between 1995 and 2003. Also, regulation for policing has been successful; marijuana drug arrests have not been affected even though the opposition to Proposition 215 claimed that legalization for medicinal purposes would open the door for its illegal use. Colorado, Nevada, and South Dakota had statewide initiatives on the 2006 ballots to decriminalize marijuana, especially in the medical context, which received 40-50% of positive votes. The initiatives were supported by the same percentage of citizens that voted for the current president. Eureka Springs, Arkansas passed a local law allowing for a summons rather than an arrest for marijuana possession.

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