The problem with legalizing pot, (or the idea of it) is that we are living in a period of neo-prohibitionism. This is a well orgainzed movement to try to repeat a disastrous program of nearly a century ago, but in a back handed back door way. So successful is this movement in the US that it can fund two huge government enforcement agencies, the BATF for legal but controlled items or subsances, and the DEA for the illegal stuff. The spoils of raids go right back to the coffers of either the local police or the federal agencies, no conflict there, right?:angry3:
Up here we've seen Dalton McGuinty follow the lead of Bridgewater NS in banning smoking in your own car with children present. He is going even further with prohibition extending to age 22 the zero tolerance BAC for drivers. NS will be lowering the allowable BAC for all drivers to .05% come the new year.
As for taxing the stuff, years ago the neo-prohibitionists lobbied to have the high taxes, (initially lowered to combat smuggling) reinstated on tobacco to cut down on teenage smoking, and smoking in general. That worked so well that the smash and grab artists now rob cigarettes from convenience stores and leave the till and safe alone.
Illegal smokes are a major revenue producer for organized crime. The penalties for having them would make Draco proud. Just a couple of months ago someone was convicted of having a cube van full of them, and decided to take 8 months to a year in the clink in lieu of the $1.2M fine. Just the cost of doing business.
BTW, I don't smoke either substance, (but I've been known to tipple now and again), but even I can tell that the pendulum has swung too far left for there to be any hope of de-criminalizing, let alone legalizing pot any time soon.