Why Isn’t Pot Legal?

With polls showing that 50% of Americans favor the legalization of marijuana, why aren’t steps being taken to make that a reality? Blame those that have the most to lose from legal weed: the pharmaceutical, alcohol and prison industries. Pharmaceutical companies don’t want people turning to pot for pain relief because it would mean fewer customers buying prescription medications. Brewers and distillers don’t want the competition either. With mounting scientific evidence that pot is safer than alcohol, legal marijuana would clearly put a major dent in the booze business’s profits. Private, for-profit prisons only make money if they’re filled to capacity, and that means locking up weed growers and pot smokers.