An end to a war?

  I had prepared a three page response to the newest problem now facing our nation, but changed it to be more precise. Now no one hates the growing of our bloated federal government more then I do, but in this case, I think that federal oversight might well be warranted? The legalization of pot, and possibly other type of hallucinogens is already upon us. As the states decide to legalize, or not to legalize, in a piece meal fashion, a central overseer of some sort would be useful, and would hopefully avert superior  courts being tied up on a monumental scale? Already there is a case pending between Colorado, who recently legalized recreational pot use, and it's neighbor Nebraska, who has not. You can look up the specifics of the case, but suffice it to say that it will be interesting, because this is a new phenomenon, having never happened until now. Couple with this another emerging problem, which also has never happened before. Maureen Dowd, a reporter for the New York Times, decided to try marijuana  for the first time while alone in a Colorado hotel? I question it, because I know better, but she can be excused for not knowing, because she would have no way of knowing! Pot when ingested, takes longer to come on, but once it does, it comes on much stronger! Again, the need for some kind of control, in this case, as warnings against use alone, what the strengths of the products are, and what to expect when choosing to consume them. Surely there is the need for proper labeling as to the potency of the THC in the products offered.
  But the bigger point here is that, like it or not, recreational drug use, legal or not, is occurring, and will continue to occur. Hiding our heads in the sand, so as not to face the problem, is just plain idiotic! The war on drugs was and continues to be, an utter failure, and the reality is, that the DEA should cease to exist. The hundreds of billions of dollars wasted on the jailing of our citizens to accommodate this war is a monumental waste of money! It would be far better spent educating the people about drugs, and having help for those who ignore that teaching, and become addicted anyway. With my generation, we went about it blindly, but there is no such excuse for this generation. As the mistakes we made, and the possible ramifications of such actions are public knowledge now, that should be made available to all our citizens. I am not advocating a national legalization, but rather, a civil, national discussion regarding this problem. Incidentally, though I can point to no scientific studies, because this is new, and none exists.  But the fears about rampart drug addiction as just an inevitability because of legalization are wrong. In fact, I believe that within as little as five years, that because of education, and our willingness to face this as mature adults, that the addiction rates will fall dramatically! Whatever your opinion on the matter, there is something that we can all agree on. That being, that left unchanged, this so called war on drugs does not work, and that something else must be done! While we dawdle away the time, out there in the streets, our children are dying, and if we keep on doing what we have been doing, then some of that blood is on all of our hands!