Tom, thanks! Yes, incrementalism is exactly the word I was looking for...

Tom, thanks. And I generally agree with your post, the harms you've laid out, etc. However I'm still not convinced that we need to legalize all drugs, and feel that the wiser thing to do would be to begin with an end to marijuana prohibition and then take it from there.

Small steps can often help avoid one stepping over the brink...

Keith, I think marijuana would no longer be a gateway drug simply due to the elimination of the dealer from the sale. The dealer is often a purveyor of more than merely weed--often offering harder drugs, or knowing of connections to other dealers who might be able to provide those other drugs. This is essentially why alcohol is not really a gateway drug. If it were illegal, however, the booze pusher might very well also push coke, LSD, or worse...

Chris--excellent post. I hadn't even considered the rise of a state-cartel, but it's an interesting notion to be sure...