In truth, the real motive is keeping our legal lawyer-jail-rinse-repeat revolving doors working. How do you think 75% of black males between 18 and 35 get caught up in the legal system? We keep the courts full and the jails brimming.
Did it ever dawn on anybody that we could save billions by taking the profit out of illegal drugs and end 80% of the associated violent crime. Then, we could easily afford treatment centers (even if we have to scoop folks off the street), and get businesses wanting to return to the cities.
“How do you think 75% of black males between 18 and 35 get caught up in the legal system?”
By committing crimes, of course. How do you think they get arrested, charged, and convicted?
“Did it ever dawn on anybody that we could save billions by taking the profit out of illegal drugs and end 80% of the associated violent crime.”
Back in the 1960s it dawned on me that “legal” marijuana would be regulated by the government. This would inevitably mean that the product would be inferior and the price, after taxes, very high. Legalization would, therefore, have very little effect on the black market, which would thrive on providing a better product at a lower price.
Perhaps a complete, hands-off legalization would be different, but figure the odds of the government passing up an opportunity to tax and regulate.