There are less than rosy sides to full legalization, and this article points out some of them. They are a bit disconcerting, but still add up to less than the status quo on the issue. The author closes with this:
As the Seattle Times recently put it in an editorial endorsing legalization in Washington State, the relevant question isn’t whether marijuana is good: “It is whether prohibition is good. It is whether the people who use marijuana shall be subject to arrest, and whether the people who supply them shall be sent to prison. The question is whether the war on marijuana is worth what it costs.”
Quite obviously, the answer is no. In fact, of all the available options the status quo of criminalizing what millions of people enjoy—most of them nonwhite, poor, and in for a world of collateral damage as a result of their arrest—is probably the least attractive choice, worse only than full legalization. The better decision is incremental reforms at the state level and a hands-off approach from the feds. Let people grow pot, and sell it, but not for profit, and without advertising, and in a tightly regulated marketplace. Tinker every year, adding new provisions and privileges as much needed new research comes in. And always update the law with a sunset provision. That way the process can’t be hijacked by lobbyists and special interests—and only one thing goes up in smoke.
Why Legalizing Marijuana on Election Day Might Not Be a Good Idea - The Daily Beast
