as well as non-addictive, and no more a "gateway drug" than milk, the insidious substance every heroin addict got started on. Marijuana is only a drug because the law has legally defined it that way, mostly because they needed an easy way in the 1930s to harass blacks. In the 60s it was blatantly political, it was an easy way to harass students. Pot is no more a drug than is chocolate or sex.

Its control's primary result is to send people to jail (the poor), or to extort money (from the prosperous) when they are doing nothing else illegal. Its a moneymaker for the Law and for lawyers, and disguises the fact the police are much better at jailing kids than arresting druglords.

Ask any cop, chasing and busting potheads does nothing to stop crime, it just consumes resources and breeds contempt for the law. A contempt, by the way, which is totally justified.

It is the criminalization of drugs that supports any illicit drug trade. With, legal, cheap, regulated drugs, the extravagant profit goes away, which certainly contradicts your point.