Originally Posted by Plinkerton
I think that being against the "drug war" has made it seem like you're for drugs. I think politicians are afraid of being labeled "stoners" or some stupid crap. I don't see why the gov't doesn't want to legalize pot, then tax it, and do all that, just like they do with tobacco, and alcohol.
That's just it. They
can't count on making their cut thru taxes. Alcohol (at least liquor) is a totaly different animal- it takes more expertise to make safely. Buying 'shine during Prohibition was such a risky thing because you really never knew what was in it. It makes sense to regulate the manufacture of distilled spirits for just this reason. But how many people don't have a green enough thumb to grow their own weed if given the chance? Also, the government can't become involved in the regulation of weed for the same reason not many Congressmen have the stones to support decriminalization- there are too many people who would object even to implied governmental consent thru taxation of the product.
The funny thing is that the same clowns who call weed a "gateway" drug don't seem to be able to wrap their minds around the fact that legalization reduces the "gateway" aspect. Duh, so long as the laws make weed a black market item, it'll be a black market item.
It's just a ****ed-up situation, and it'll stay this way until there are enough smokers that the public realizes that the greater harm is being done in the attempt to stop it.