These actions by the Obama administration are considered controversial by a limited number of Congress members who would rather see the Obama administration use the full force of federal law to crush state efforts to embrace more rational marijuana policies. These members are clearly enamored with wasting billions of taxpayer dollars annually in a futile attempt to banish a substance far less harmful than alcohol from the face of the earth. And they are obviously satisfied with prohibitionist polices that guarantee that all profits from marijuana sales enrich drug cartels and criminal enterprises.

Despite these protests, what the Obama administration is doing is both legitimate and logical. It is legitimate because of the long-recognized and accepted practice of prosecutorial discretion, which is especially appropriate when law enforcement resources are limited and when the federal government is actually supporting state efforts to eliminate criminal activity at the local level. And it is logical because the federal policy of marijuana prohibition, which has never been based on fact or science, is a complete and total failure by every possible measure of assessment.

Here is the truth: Marijuana is used by tens of millions of Americans annually — and it always will be. This should not be surprising, since marijuana not only has well recognized medicinal benefits, but it is also less addictive, less harmful to the user and less likely to be associated with violent behavior than alcohol. In fact, the relatively benign nature of marijuana is a major reason why more than 60 percent of Americans under the age of 65 now believe it should be legal.