Legalize recreational marijuana

Did you know there have been no known marijuana overdoses in medical history?

Cigarettes, alcohol, and prescription drugs kill far more Americans each year. So do pet dogs, swimming pools, and automobiles.

Those things all remain legal, yet marijuana and our justice system ruin thousands of young people's lives each year.

It's past time for Iowa to do away with prohibition of the harmless cannabis plant.

Our government manufactures the gravest consequences of marijuana use. A drug-related charge sets off a chain of dire events for far too many Americans each day.

First, you're put in a jail cell and the cops' version of the story becomes a public record for your family, news organizations, and anyone on the Internet to see. Hopefully you can afford to bond out, but you'll still be faced with months of legal proceedings and exorbitant fees from lawyers and the state government.

If you're eventually convicted or coaxed into a plea deal, the incident could plague you for life. A 2010 Pew Charitable Trust study showed incarceration permanently curbs a person's earning potential, dragging down annual earnings by as much as 40 percent.

Recent years have given us some promising signs of reform. About half the states now have medical cannabis programs and a few places have even legalized recreational marijuana. But that's not enough - just one person being thrown in a cage for a victimless crime is one too many.

Here are three things you can do to help:

' Contact local law enforcement. Cops do not have to enforce marijuana possession laws. Tell your police chief and your sheriff that non-violent drug users do not belong behind bars.

' Call your lawmaker. Iowa legislators are considering bills this year to expand the state's medical cannabis law and to reclassify marijuana possession offenses. These are good first steps toward reasonable reform, but they won't pass unless lawmakers hear from you.

' Vet presidential candidates. The Obama administration has taken a harsh stance against marijuana, ordering more medical dispensary raids than the Bush administration. Our next president should let states manage this issue on their own - tell would-be presidents that as they stump for the Iowa caucuses.

Minds are changing and the momentum is on our side. About half Iowans support legalizing recreational marijuana, according to a recent Des Moines Register survey. With your help, real reform is possible.

' Mike Corrie, of Iowa City, is a University of Iowa student and president of Young Americans for Liberty. Comments: michael-corrie@uiowa.edu