I have been following this thread with every intent of leaping down your throat at some point, as I would with a standard-issue WODdie.
I see, however, that your statement re consequences is very salient:
"Now is it a realistic outcome of legalizating pot? That depends on the method of legalization. If the method of legalization is to say that the regulation of drugs is unconstitutional, then it is very realistic and could be expected, as all drugs would be covered.
I think having a concern therefore does have merit."
I believe your concerns are valid. To me, the obvious solution to this conundrum is to treat marijuana and other common plants as beneath the dignity of the law. The law should simply not deal with weed, mushrooms, and such.
Failing that happy outcome, I take solace in the thought that the government's ludicrous propaganda war against marijuana is a signal to youth that the government lies, and then lies some more; and that there is a large vested interest in the continuance of this policy, unsurprisingly.
The WOD is a great poster-boy for teaching distrust of the state.
Did you read my #102?
I believe your concerns are valid. To me, the obvious solution to this conundrum is to treat marijuana and other common plants as beneath the dignity of the law. The law should simply not deal with weed, mushrooms, and such.
The problem with this approach as I see it, is that most all drugs are natural. Penicillin is just a natural mold spore.
If I were pushing legalization, which I'm not (just not one of my irons in the fire), I would push to put the laws back into the hands of the states and then let open debate and common sense prevail.
I think that by federalizing everything we have lost one our strongest advantages in government. That being the ability to conduct 50 different experiments in what works and what doesn't. Getting off of drugs for a second, look at education. If the states had free reign, we could let the blue states try throwing money at it, and let the red states set academic requirements and merit pay. Soon it would be very clear what model works, and what doesn't. Indeed, we might find that different things work in different places.
If you live in Vermont and the citizens of Alabama don't want to legalize pot, what business is it of yours? The reverse of course is also true. Now with antibiotics, clear harm from another state's actions becomes real, so I do think it becomes a federal issue.