End war on Marijuana and cut deficit

President Obama,  

The government spends billions on Marijuana interdiction, encarceration, and enforcement.  Even tackling states who use this drug for medical uses (which have clearly been shown to work).  We not only are wasting a tremendous amount of money fighting a fight that has not show success, but we are empowering drug cartels and others who like in the age of prohibition are making millions off of our failed policy.  We should keep the laws on hard drugs, but legalize Marijuana.  Then, tax the hell out of it.  We would take away much of the drug cartel's business, we would stop spending millions we don't have on enforcement, and we would put billions into the national coffers, to pay down the national debt.  When will the time be that we see that this would work?  Or do we continue a failed policy?  The article below says it all.  Are we serious about tackling problems or do we just cut social programs, schools, social security, etc.  while continuing to throw money down a black hole?

Thanks you, David Johnson