I think that's an excellent idea. There are plenty of non-incarceration penalties that could be imposed for drug users, which would satisfy both sides of the issue to some extent.

Yes, get the bad people off the streets.

oh no. i think we should build more prisons to accomodate the new criminals. especially the mexicans who come here from across the border to sell crack and other drugs. they should be housed in our prisons. lets build more prisons. then the prison guards can expand and get more money. pot smoking is one of the worst things you can do to your self. remember back when they said tobacco was okay to smoke. and now we know it is really bad for you. the same goes for pot smoking. now they say it is okay to smoke it. but in a few years they will say they made a mistake and it is bad for you and causes cancer.

"...seeing as they hand out their freedom on a platter due to lack of cells in the prisons?" Since they don't actually do this, I guess we have nothing to worry about? The federal government does not shorten sentences due to overcrowding.

Personaly I think Marijuana should be decriminalized compleatly. We have way too many murderers, rapists, pedophiles, and thieves on the streets. these people murder, rape, molest, and steal, all of these things hurt or injure other inocent people. a marijuana user gets off work, goes home, smokes a joint of a plant that has been growing on this earth for thousands of years, maybe hurting himself and no one else, if hurting ones self is so bad then maybe we need to outlaw tattoos, pircings, or any other body mutilation, how about cars for pouring out toxic fumes (i ride a bike wont hurt me) how about all of these people who want to go to the football game and after buying a couple of 150 doller tickets doesnt have the money to pay the bank, so now they and thery kids are on the street. I could go on an on for a very long time, but I think my point has been made our jails are for criminals who cause other people injury or loss. why in this great country of ours, which was started with a document that presumed every human has the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, have we decided that it is ok to criminalize someone for choosing to reserve there right to this persuit, costing us billions of dollers, countless lives destroied and an overpopulated jail system to the point where the people who are harming others stay on the street, fore there isnt enough room to board them in our jails. shall we ever learn to coexist with one another or will we always try and use each others differences, be it theyer skin color, race, religion, gender, or past-time for that matter to justify an assult upon them?

Yes, its ridiculous. 80% of the prison population is non- violent drug offenders. The Fed should be abolished since they do more harm than good. America was much better off prior to the Federal government.