The problem is, criminalization of pot does far more harm to society than decriminalization.
So, while there might be downsides of decriminalization, the downsides of criminalization far outweight the former.
So, while there might be downsides of decriminalization, the downsides of criminalization far outweight the former.
This is actually pretty similar to how cigarettes are treated in Canada (and many countries). Restricted sales, legal ages to purchase, product covered in discouraging warnings, lots of restrictions around advertisements, tonnes of places you aren’t allowed to smoke (not just inside, but anywhere remotely close to doorways), etc. Basically sends the message “we think smoking is negative, but it’s better to tolerate it in a highly regulated way than to make it illegal.”