Politics is not driven by rational arguments, but rather self-serving ones.

The tipping point will come when enfranchised political classes are devastated by the drug war. We've already seen it happen with heroin - we've pivoted from incarceration to compassion and treatment (At least, in the public psyche...) After opioid abuse hit white neighbourhoods.

Given the social disaster unfolding in the Appalachians, we may be getting closer to meaningful drug reform.

The "rational" argument is being made by the DEA to continue the war because it allows their continued existence. It is "rational" for them to pursue the most stringent laws possible to justify their budget and size.

It's also rational for politicians to not push for removing federal drug scheduling because the "just say no" side has been a bigger part of the vote than the legalization side. It's making it's way towards being a top voting issue but hasn't quite been there yet. However, when California legalizes and as more states likely shall, the pressure on Congress to act will become immense.

Some kind of an equilibrium has been reached involving the transfer of billions of dollars, not easy to change.