Look what mcdonalds and Taco Bell and Pizza Hut did to all the local restaurants, yea the food is still good but the prices are jacked. With weed my theory is the prices will slowly rise because it's a really good way for Govt to make a buck. I have no problem with it being illegal and I think I'd rather have it illegal, just be smart and alert of your surroundings don't drive around hot boxing bongs in your car, what I've realized is if your cool and honest with cops and don't talk shit trying to impress your friends they will be cool with you, I've been caught several times by cops I've admitted everything I had on me where it was and nothing got confiscated nor any charges I just got my ticket and a thank you for my honesty, cops arnt your enemy and they mośt likely won't give a shit about a little weed, there just trying to keep your town safe. I reside in Baltimore city, this may not apply to all of you
Your theory seems backwards to the point of restaurants or any business, you get it cheap and you pass the discount down to the consumer usually at the cost of quality so to that point prices would go down and that's a large part of what puts the locals out of business. If anything it comes across like you're more worried of being put out of business by the big fish then getting rid of the issues this law has caused. Anything that is banned you are likely over paying due to the risk and complications the laws pose. If cannabis was legal a lot would depend on things like home grow laws (even though I believe a majority would still be buying,) and specifics like that. If you couldn't grow your own and had to purchase from a licensed vendor for an increased price then it is currently, that could effectively make the black market far stronger than previously. But even if the government was trying to make a buck (which they and the whole economy stand to gain) I'd rather them then an unqualified drug dealer taking my money. I just fail to see a logical reason for someone to oppose legalization, unless obviously they stand to gain something at the expense of others. Like you said you live in Baltimore, but federal law doesn't.
I don't buy the "look at what happened to tobacco" argument. I'm pretty sure tobacco was still killing people long before large companies got a hold of it and added their chemicals. Apples and oranges.