i understand why they are protesting. the school having a drug policy doesnt give the police the right to shoot an unarmed person. police use to much force and abuse their power.

It really is too bad that this stuff happens. But its the policies, not the police that are causing the most of these problems. Because drugs are illegal they are associated with black market criminal (alcohol used to be associated with gangsters and murders until prohibition was ended). The student that was shot had under a joints worth of marijuana on him - but lets pretend he was a big time drug dealer with lots of marijuana and other drugs and the police had killed or arrested him and taken all of his drugs. What would that ultimately accomplish? Nothing. Another drug dealer would take his place the next day and the same amount of drugs would be available. Its time to get smart, not tough, about drugs.

I think people should be re-educated about marijuana. Yes, of course there are negative effects but,marijuana is a plant. A natural plant should be allowed to grow freely. Some people do smoke pot to feel rebellious and what not, but there are still people out there who use it spiritually or even medically. It can also be used as a sleep aid, instead of swallowing unnatural man made pills. I never cared about the whole legalization or even decriminalization of the "drug" before. But now I realize how wrong it is when a plant takes up time police could be using to catch a rapist, or a father (or mother)abusing his (or her) child. It makes me mad how a plant can keep people off sports teams or even from getting a job. This War on Drugs is taking up way too much time and money away from real problems that need to be solved. The Netherlands recently had to close 8 prisons due to lack of crime. Their drug policy makes actual sense. It is still illegal but the policies are just more relaxed. There is also less drug use over there. Even people who have been caught up in "hardcore" drugs like cocaine and meth, shouldn't be sent to prison; they should be able to get the help they need to get over their addiction.

Great points. The US has some of the harshest laws regarding marijuana use/cultivation/possession/distribution and we have had marijuana illegal for 70+ years. Yet we have some of the highest rates of youth cannabis use in the world. Since we made marijuana illegal - use has gone up by 4000%!

The Netherlands who have de facto legalization of cannabis has lower cannabis use rates. And Portugal, who has decriminalized use of all drugs also has lower rates of use.

Its time to get smart about drugs and drug policies. http://www.SchoolsNotPrisons.com