Robert McCartney: Young People Speak the Truth on Legalizing Marijuana

"When's the last time you heard about some guy on marijuana coming in and hitting his wife?" Anthony Thompson, 18, of Silver Spring, said.

In my view, there's one strong reason for keeping marijuana illegal. The risk of getting caught discourages some people from trying it or using it regularly. That's a plus for public health. But that's outweighed by the social and economic benefits of legalization.

Moreover, the current policy leads people to be cynical about the law. "If you have laws that are not effectively enforced, or are flouted as openly as some of these are, I think it undermines public confidence," said a senior Maryland law enforcement official who spoke on condition of anonymity in order to be candid about a controversial subject.

Some of the young people who support legalization now will doubtless change their minds as they get older, especially when they start to worry that their own children will smoke as they -- or their friends -- did. Given the other trends, though, there's a good chance that the rising generation will change the laws when it comes to power. We should change them now. It would save millions of dollars and countless hours of police officers' time and eliminate a source of hypocrisy about what we as a society actually tolerate.

Maybe She Does Walk on Water

The good news keeps coming for D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee. After city schools opened without major disruptions, the system reported that enrollment was close to surpassing that of the previous year. If the number is confirmed in early 2010 after an audit, it would be a vote of confidence from parents. It also would embarrass Rhee's detractors on the D.C. Council, who were skeptical when she predicted that enrollment would be so high. On Friday, we learned that she's moved closer to a contract with the union. Let's just hope that there aren't too many mysterious erasures on the next round of standardized tests.

E-mail me at robertmccartney@washpost.com