I realize a lot of my fellow Republicans don't like to think of free-market capitalism when it comes to marijuana. But capitalism has a way of getting desired products to consumers regardless of attempts by the political class to regulate it.
I witnessed that the other evening as I was out at a bar watching the legendary Billy Hector play guitar. I ran into a friend of mine who likes to smoke marijuana and, in the interests of journalistic research, I asked him what he thought of the ongoing effort in the state Legislature to legalize pot.
It wouldn't make much difference to him, he said. He pulled out one of those vape pens, the kind cigarette smokers often use to get a nicotine rush without all that harmful smoke. They work with pot just as well, he said, and no one can tell the difference.
He proceeded to show me how it works. No one noticed.
At that point I came to a conclusion that I imagine a majority of our legislators are coming to: The war on marijuana is over. Marijuana won. There's not much anyone can do about it - except of course try to cash in on the tax revenue.