Okay, so this development calls to mind something I've talked about before (not here), where states' economic crises are going to supersede the "morality vote" (e.g., against drug legalization, gambling, and prostitution) -- and suddenly, the vice crimes are going to be increasingly seen as sources of revenue. The fundamentalists are all about keeping the futile Drug War going (newsflash: Prohibition STILL doesn't work), but states are cash-strapped, and are going to have to find some "magic" way of getting revenue, and that is going to decide the legalization issue -- and I think that's a good thing, to be honest. All that money that gets wasted fighting a losing war on drugs can be allocated elsewhere, and the money that comes from tax revenue on drugs will be usable for all sorts of things.
In 2001 (!), Portugal (I know, right? Source of great proverbs and apparently sane drug legalization policies) went with an across-the-board drug legalization policy and they've found (big fucking shock) clear drops in crime and improvements in public health -- treating drugs as a public health issue and taking it out of the police bailiwick, with incredible results.
I know American politics has a terrible case of the Stupids thanks to the reactionary wailers in our midst, but eventually, there will be a change down the road, if only because economic necessity drives states to be less censorious, and more open-minded.
