How does American drug policy even work? POTUS Paul wouldn't be able to change the legal status of drugs, no? Wouldn't he have to (with congress) repeal the Controlled Substances Act or whatever? Or can the DEA unilaterally decide what's illegal and to what extent? If the former is true, he'd merely be able to stop federal assets from enforcing the law - but what would stop state and local authorities from still f'ing peoples' lives up? I'd imagine most drug arrests are conducted by state and local authorities, not the DEA?
And he can instruct the Justice Department not to prosecute cases. It is true that the president wouldn't have any bearing on what happens at the state level.
