The Saratogian, 15 Jul 2016 – The legalization of marijuana is inevitable. The most we can hope for is that people are educated about the potential downsides of the so-called weed. We can hope that pot smoking will not give rise to the kind of alcohol fueled traffic fatalities we see now. Of course, we all know that people have been known to smoke and drive and have been involved in accidents but once it is legalized, there will doubtless be more pot users who will drive “under the influence.” Some very distinguished psychiatrists and epidemiologists will tell you that marijuana is indeed a gateway drug that will lead some users to try other, more dangerous substances. One of the great advantages of legalization is that we will take the lucrative side of the business away from organized (or not so organized) crime.