Because they have nothing to gain and can only lose political office if they legalize it.
My thoughts on it have changed. I used to have a liberal view but I am quite against drugs now. Cannabis kills people's ambitions, most daily smokers never reach anywhere near their life's potential. I know some may disagree with me but for those who do, please respect my opinion, you don't have to agree with it. And this is from someone who has smoked a lot in my life and met many others!
I also think if it was legalized in the UK it would be widely abused, unlike here in NL where it is quite taboo among Dutch people. In UK, its not taboo even though its illegal!
Bruce lee, Bob Marley, John Lennon all used cannabis regularly pretty ambitious people despite that use?
I am a strong supporter and advocate for cannabis and I agree with you to an extent. Cannabis can easily create a comfort zone in many people that leads to a level of abuse day-in and day-out. It feels so nice, no reason to go anywhere or do anything but be stoned. Anything can be abused to a level of it being self destructing. Their are too many strong exceptions to this to make it the end-all answer. Cannabis is being abused by many people that use it like comfort junk food to escape an uncomfortable situation or a similar type of abuse. Their are too many people that find it enriching, a way to see one's brain from a different perspective and problem solve, a spark to unbounded creativity, an introverted mirror to see depths of one's true existence and even temporary ego death. All of this can be accomplished without cannabis although some of us may find it rewarding, safe and easier with it and that's fine. Higher risk indeed although its so much more benign than many other 'drugs.' I think we need to educate people on tolerance checks, have more respect for the plant, just say know instead of no. Cannabis has both amplified my ambition and killed it(extremely rarely kills it). It modulates itself depending on a near infinite amount of variables. YMMV