On the governor's talk of legalizing marijuana (Editorials, May 8): Yes, a serious debate should begin, and studies should be conducted.

This is an important decision for California and indeed America. As your editorial suggests, it is not a decision to be taken lightly. Marijuana is drug that affects the mind, and its widespread over-consumption, especially among the young, would not be beneficial to our health and culture.

One of the things that we have to ascertain is how we can shift away from a culture of frivolous use. It's one thing to legalize it, but to be responsible about it we need to change our attitude about it much the way we have about tobacco, so that marijuana isn't seen as a harmless game but as a substance that carries consequences. If we can do that, we could set up a good model for legalization.

Ethan Camp

Lafayette

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