Other prescription pain killers are also addictive.
Well, thank goodness that doesn't apply to alcohol, nicotine, or caffeine...
Wouldn't that same criteria and conclution apply to those who are in favor of decriminalization or legalization?
I don't think decriminalization or legalization is necessarily better or worse than the status quo, any more than alcohol prohibition was necessarily better or worse for overall society, or the latest restrictions on smoking.
But legalization & taxation would certainly be a lot more profitable than the gazillions spent on the "War on Drugs". It'd eliminate a lot of graft & corruption, too.
Here's an imperfect analogy whose application I'd never considered before. Last weekend I was a judge at a taekwondo tournament. Several of the competitors-- enough of them to be a problem-- were pushing & holding. There are various degrees of flagrancy but essentially both are against the rules, and the ref is supposed to discourage them by penalizing the offending fighters. However the ref can't stop what he can't see and won't stop what he doesn't feel is intentional, and some players are more skilled at the "cheating" than others. Of course the coaches can always tell when the other scurrilous bastard is exploiting their fair-minded fighter.
When I commented on the enforcement, our instructor said that he thought pushing & holding should be made legal. That way the sport would come up with its own counters to the tactic, and eventually those depending on the ref's ignorance/indulgence would be discouraged in their tactics by jump hook kicks to the face.
So legalize marijuana. Those who want (or "need" it) could obtain a generally safe and potent substance that may or may not be addictive, depending on the user's genetic & psychological tendencies. The tax revenues could be a huge source of funds, and the current laws (for example DUI) could handle those who don't/won't use responsibly and those who are evading taxation.
The tax revenue would be a potent fourth leg to the table holding up the Hawaii economy, too...