Question of the Week: Should Marijuana be Legalized?

Marijuana has been decriminalized in Colorado and Washington state. Should Georgia follow suit?

Georgia Campaign for Access, Reform & Education (Georgia CARE), a project of the Georgia Taxpayers Alliance, Inc., seeks to change the state's laws on marijuana, eventually leading to a complete legalization of the drug.

The group claims this would unburden our criminal justice system, which is laden with marijuana-related crimes and arrests.

Georgia CARE has published a "Blueprint to Reform" (attached to this article) that outlines how it perceives marijuana reform and eventual legalization can happen in Georgia.

For example, CARE advocates making marijuana a Schedule II drug and allowing medical prescription of cannabis. Following this, the state should remove jail time for those caught with less than four ounces of the drug, and release and pardon people currently incarcerated or on parole or probation for a similar offense.

Finally, the group believes Georgia voters would be open to passing a referendum to legalize marijuana and have it taxed federally, similar to the laws now in force in Washington state and Colorado.

What do you think? Should Georgia move to legalize marijuana? Tell us in the comments!