Alright, this is arguing the proliferation angle. I am ignoring the stupidity of the government regarding jail terms for drug use here. I'll talk about that later.
You know, I love it when some people talk as if all of America's problems would go away and disappear, if and only if the government stops this evil War on Some Drugs. War on Some Drugs it is, but pot is not the only drug in existence. Yes, banning marijuana is pretty ludicrous, given the legality of alcohol and cigarettes, but there are plenty of drugs out there that are actually harmful, and when mixed with addiction is a very unhealthy to the nation. Want proof?
1840, Southern China. British merchants flood the region with opium in order to obtain Chinese goods without paying them silver, which was hard to obtain. Opium is undeniably addictive, and by the time Beijing got around to correcting the problem the addiction has spread to almost every adult in Canton, not to mention that five year-old kids were hanging around the Opium Parlors trying to sniff up a bit of the stuff. Not too pretty. War on Drugs was declared by the Qing Dynasty, but the obviously more powerful British merchants (read: drug runners) put a stop to it and forced open more Northern Chinese ports in order to import their Indian opium there too. I am not surprised by China's stance of narcotics. In fact, I wholeheartedly agree with it. Oh yeah, pot is legal here in China now, for religious purposes. So I say I am observing a religious ritual while smoking pot, they can't touch me.
I don't see too much difference between the opium situation back then in China and the scenario here in America with say crack. It's dangerous, it's harmful, and people who support its use are just trying to make money for themselves while they slowly kill you. Please, methamphetamines are not to be messed with. You're right, people should be able to talk about it. But when you start making the stuff and selling it, that is not good. The Constitution is the supreme rule of the land.
Frankly, if the government completely stops its campaign against drugs, all hell would break loose. And no crackhead is going to tell me otherwise. Yes, with some drugs, the war is pointless and stupid, but again, pot isn't the only drug floating around in the streets.
BTW, Holland isn't the drug paradise everyone seems to think it is. I advise people not to sell crack or heroin there. Police state, on a drug policy?!? Life is a lot more than smoking a joint, you know.
Pseudomancer: This is not The Onion. Given the difficulty even to clearly define this "war", how can you say who won?