Soma vibes
Soma was legalized - just ask your neighbors
And given how widely and casually cannabis has been consumed for decades, the social policy angle makes no sense as effects should be visible by now.
The civil rights angle is the one where the people being oppressed by selective enforcement of the law is the one that makes sense, somewhat evidenced by the progression of changes in state laws, beginning with states that one would rank more progressive on civil rights than more regressive states, where it still remains highly illegal.
I don't believe we have yet experienced -pervasive- use of this substance in society. My sense of it is that a sort of social taboo has been lifted. TBD imo.
I can't find the nytimes oped from Giulliani era, but in late 90s early 00s, NYC was arresting people left and right for lousy dime bags. And many 'respectable' types got arrested which prompted the oped I am referring to here. But sure, policing in general has been used as a discrminatory tool, no arguments there.
"What if people were happy and content with life but its actually bad" is such a puritan view of the world.