Mitchell Rosenthal feels that California was right to strike down Prop 19:
If we are to reduce the use and trafficking of this drug and keep it out of the hands of kids, we need anti-marijuana laws. But we don’t need prison terms for pot-law offenders. We need to decriminalize marijuana use and treat it as an offense, much like a traffic violation. This is already the case in much of the country.
Most bright teens will try to smoke pot at some point, and their parents will most likely be unaware of it. However, when a parent does become aware of marijuana use, chances are it is escalating, and this means it’s time for parents to take action. A parent’s primary task is enabling children to deal with the reality of their lives as mature men and women. Anything that interferes with this process is a problem: drinking, speeding, having unprotected sex, and smoking marijuana.
Tyler Cowen's most recent contribution to the marijuana debate serves as antidote to this line of argument:
Parents are not even preferring the policy which (necessarily) best protects their kids. Parents are preferring the policy which gives them a slightly better feeling of being in control of their kids, whether or not they are.