How Could Legalization Destroy a State That's Already Covered in Pot Plants?

I really ought to be used to it by now, but few things piss me off more than hearing our opponents claim that marijuana legalization means introducing "another intoxicant" into our society. Variations on the whole "we have enough problems with alcohol and tobacco" argument have become a favorite weapon of the anti-reform crowd, yet we've never heard any of them endorsing prohibition of beer or cigarettes.

If there were any truth to the apocalyptic anxieties of our opponents, life in California would already be a living hell. There is nothing remotely "new" about marijuana, particularly in a state that's had dispensaries for over a decade. Very few Californians are waiting for Prop 19 to pass so that they can finally get high and become a burden on society. But I think our opposition knows that. Their real fear is that nothing bad will happen and the case for the continued criminalization of cannabis could soon be rendered fraudulent for all to see.