I've been thinking lately about drug legalization and how it tends to transfer the wealth from selling drugs to the business owner class. I'm coming at this from having argued for years for across-the-board legalization of all drugs (with regulation for many drugs).

Where I live weed got legalized a few years ago. Before legalization there were lots of stores that sold weed, and they were all very chill, like more like a bodega vibe. After legalization it became very highly regulated, all those places closed, and now all the new weed stores feel like Apple Stores - obviously much more up front investment and a very different vibe.

This isn't a fully-formed thought, but I can't help but feel like this whole process starts with the poor having an easy way to make decent money then with decriminalization we have a slightly higher class of people making that money, and now with legalization it really is like the top 1% making this money.

None of this is an argument for putting people in cages for drugs, I'm just wondering if there's a better way than legalization? Or is the problem I'm seeing a regulation problem over a legalization problem?