Although I think legalization is a mistake, I agree that it is a mistake that should be made at the state level. Or else the feds should have stopped states from legalizing it some years ago. We are now half in and half out and that just makes no sense.
Telling the Federal Government they cannot restrict a plant with many health benefits is NOT a mistake. The mistake was making it illegal in the first place!!!
So, if you believe legalization is a mistake, does that mean you support putting people in jail for possession of a plant? Doesn’t sound very limited government conservative to me.
On the contrary, the argument can be made that prohibition is a mistake, but one that is better to make at the state level where in theory at least, the decision to prohibit something would reflect local/regional values.
As far as I know, every attempt to legislate morality has failed, the best that can be hoped for is to inform people of the hazards and consequences and use regulations as a disincentive. This approach seems to have worked fairly well to decrease smoking as one example.
As a lawyer friend pointed out, if a first time DWI charge brought a mandatory 5 year suspension of your drivers license and a $10,000 fine, people would be much less inclined to drink and drive, thinking they could get away with it. Risk vs reward.