The real purpose of these laws is to make something relatively harmless "illegal" and therefore taboo, so that rebelious teenagers focus on that
The problem with this idea is that those "rebellious teens" are now in contact with a guy willing to commit major crimes just to sell it to them.
Which isn't a problem in those uber white areas where its just a dreadlocked stoner running the operation from his little farm, but it is in places with diverse populations wherein the same potdealer also runs numerous other illegal operations. The "gateway drug" idea wasn't out of some pure slippery slope, but because the same black gangbanger will sell you pot, pot mixed with shit, and crack all on the same table in his living room. Which takes away taboos from harder drugs because you end up having to trust this guy who will absolutely try to sell you stuff. And you can't just "nah I'm good" him for long. Both the threat of physical violence and being cut off are always on the table.
I'm not pro-legalization, but the idea of trying to false bait them into "just pot" only works in a Leave it to Beaver type America. Not one with ghetto trash actively dragging those same teens into the pit.
Right, that's fair. I grew up in a homogenously white society so the pot dealers were just harmless stoners - it's probably different in, as you say, diverse ones.
The problem with this idea is that those "rebellious teens" are now in contact with a guy willing to commit major crimes just to sell it to them.
Which isn't a problem in those uber white areas where its just a dreadlocked stoner running the operation from his little farm, but it is in places with diverse populations wherein the same potdealer also runs numerous other illegal operations. The "gateway drug" idea wasn't out of some pure slippery slope, but because the same black gangbanger will sell you pot, pot mixed with shit, and crack all on the same table in his living room. Which takes away taboos from harder drugs because you end up having to trust this guy who will absolutely try to sell you stuff. And you can't just "nah I'm good" him for long. Both the threat of physical violence and being cut off are always on the table.
I'm not pro-legalization, but the idea of trying to false bait them into "just pot" only works in a Leave it to Beaver type America. Not one with ghetto trash actively dragging those same teens into the pit.
Right, that's fair. I grew up in a homogenously white society so the pot dealers were just harmless stoners - it's probably different in, as you say, diverse ones.