Stop me if you've heard this one before.
Tax and legalize the sale of marijuana
...to people over the age of 30.
Because we all know the alcohol industry makes a huge profit off those 18-21 year olds who do everything in their power to purchase alcohol because it's illegal. After 21, the market for vices pretty much disappears, except in the area of prostitution. Why not let loose a brand new industry to tap that open market?
The government makes its cut off vice taxes, the kids and young adults get their weed by hook or by crook, the purists can bury the argument and be satisfied that the stuff will never legally touch anyone who shouldn't already have a career and a 401(k), parties actually have a fucking point again past college age, and pharma gets an injection shot in the wallet after being kneecapped by reform. The only people who lose out here are the smugglers who for some odd reason I can't seem to sympathize with.