[chimeracoder]

> I really don't see why the alcohol, tobacco, and pharmaceutical companies can't themselves move in to production and sale of marijuana, once it becomes legal.

That's exactly what I'm saying. The tobacco industry would love to leverage their existing assets into a lateral move into the marijuana industry. But until it's legal, they have to sit by and watch their lunch get eaten by smaller firms with larger risk appetites because they have less to lose if things blow up in their faces. That's what's already happening.