"David Frum's new Daily Beast article on marijuana bemoans the poor economic prospects of America's younger generations, and brings in the absurd claim that legalizing marijuana would kick young people -- and the disadvantaged at-large -- while they’re down.
Relying on a variety of well-worn drug myths, Frum says that Americans already engage in too many risky behaviors, and because life is still so hard for so many of us, legalizing pot would only make it all worse. The reality is that legalizing marijuana would be a big boost to opportunity for young people: In one year, marijuana decriminalization in California reduced the youth crime rate by 20 percent. Decreasing pot arrests is additionally important because some people -- low-income, young men of color -- are far more likely to be arrested for marijuana use than their pot-smoking, richer, white counterparts."
