The state branch of the American Civil Liberties Union is urging a Wayne County judge to strike down a vague Livonia statute that is designed to prohibit residents from benefiting from the Michigan Marihuana Act, which legalizes medical weed.

But despite the fact that the feds have backed off—at least ostensibly—we continue to waste untold dollars on drug raids and court cases aimed at taking away through law enforcement what we've declared legal at the ballot box. How is this anything short of utter usurpation of the democratically expressed will of the people?

And just as it's bad politics, it's also bad economics. While many of the wild-eyed projections about what taxing marijuana could do for a local budget deserve skepticism, there's simply no disputing the fact that weed is big money. In San Jose, Calif., for instance, the city reaped $290,000 in the first month of a 7% tax on medical pot. That comes to about $3.5 million a year.

So why won't more so-called local political "leaders" at least consider a more progressive stance on weed?

Consider that, only a few short miles away from Livonia, in Detroit, the City Council and Mayor are at each other's throats in a battle over whether and how deeply to cut police or public transit or both. Meanwhile, resource-strapped law enforcement officers in Detroit are forced into impromptu cost-benefit analyses every time they make a traffic stop.

Now, don't read me wrong. I'm not saying the cops should be hauling everyone off to jail for every minor infraction. That's stupid and costly, too. But if we can understand that when it comes to lead-footed drivers vs. real criminals, why can't our little bishop-ocracy get off its high horse when it comes to these ridiculous drug enforcement policies?

A year ago, voters in the city proper fought to put marijuana legalization on the ballot, and without the trappings of the "medical" debate either. The measure was certainly reasonable, calling for the legalization of up to one ounce of marijuana for personal use. Petitions were gathered. Everything was done by the book. The measure seemed certainly to pass.

But then the Detroit Election Commission unilaterally decided not to allow the proposal onto the ballot.

Since then, how many more people have been arrested for victimless marijuana "crimes?" How many more of the city's police officers, like the late Brian Huff, have had to put their lives on the line to nab penny-ante marijuana dealers? How many more prosecutors have the counties thrown at weed offenses? How much in tax revenue have the cities squandered?

Again, no one's suggesting that legalizing and taxing marijuana is the economic silver bullet for Detroit. But there's nothing to be afraid either, no reason for marijuana to continue to be made a drain on public resources when it could help replenish them.

And there's certainly no reason for cops, prosecutors and judges to keep resisting the will of the people when, in fact, it's their job to enforce it.