Marijuana causes a tiny fraction of those deaths, and none of them from overdose. Pot can be and is abused, but alcohol boasts 12 million addicts, and can kill from overdose as well as from drinking and driving and other alcohol-related accidents. It tears families apart. It's a major factor in violent crime, including domestic abuse. Most voters are not aware of the costs associated with alcohol abuse, and Congress does not hear from large numbers of constituents that alcohol abuse presents a pressing problem.
Young people try alcohol and other drugs for a host of reasons.
Gore smoked pot as a young man. All letters to the editor are for publication and may be edited for length and clarity.