I think Dee made some great points regarding the logistics of legalization, especially the one about all of the legislation regarding smoking cigarettes in public. I think decriminalization of the personal and private use of marijuana would be the only way we'd ever see any reform of marijuana laws. I don't think we'll see any reform in our lifetime, however.
And regarding your request for articles - looking online it was hard to find anything that wasn't biased. I found these 2, you can determine their credibility:
4 May 2000
"...The researchers believe that the way in which marijuana and tobacco are smoked is the key. A pull on a marijuana joint compared with a cigarette usually involves a volume two-thirds larger, a depth of inspiration one third greater and a holding of the breath four times longer, write the investigators. Inhalation of three to four marijuana cigarettes a day produces histological changes comparable to inhalation of 20 cigarettes a day..."(
http://www.ms-network.com/newsflash/show.asp?ID=47)
and
"Scientists believe that marijuana can be especially harmful to the lungs because users often inhale the unfiltered smoke deeply and hold it in their lungs as long as possible. Therefore, the smoke is in contact with lung tissues for long periods of time, which irritates the lungs and damages the way they work. Marijuana smoke contains some of the same ingredients in tobacco smoke that can cause emphysema and cancer. In addition, many marijuana users also smoke cigarettes; the combined effects of smoking these two substances creates an increased health risk." (
http://www.well.com/user/woa/fspot.htm)