This comment by Charles Brumbelow over at Chaos Manor seems telling:
Some would say we’ve learned nothing from Prohibition. IMHO that is incorrect, we’ve learned a great deal. Specifically, we’ve learned that criminalizing any behavior creates opportunities for wealth and power for politicians, government employees, and those who would organize and market that behavior. We’ve also learned that such criminalization gives government an additional set of restraints and controls to apply to all the citizens.
As the Puppy Blender might say, “Indeed.”