Re: Why didn't he just buy out of state?
States rights is a double-edged sword, it does good and bad. In practice, it makes law evolution faster because states get to practice and "play out" certain changes in law while everyone else looks on patiently.
For example, marijuana is still illegal federally and can carry serious criminal penalties. But after this election I think the number of states with medicinal mj is now over 50%, and there's a dozen or so now with recreational weed legalized. Back under the Bush presidency this became a hot topic after California made medical marijuana legal. Local authorities would issue grower & seller permits, then the DEA or FBI would raid their business and arrest everyone involved.
After a point the White House just decided to turn the other cheek, wait and see what plays out, and that's the state we're still in today.
Another great example is gay marriage: started at the states level, then once others realized it didn't cause the apocalypse, they followed shortly. Ending in a Supreme Court case that made it legal federally.
It cuts both ways, but personally I like the extra freedom in this system. E.g. here in Arizona few years back, we made medicinal mj and concealed-carry without a permit (no CCW license required anymore) legal in the same year. And this year, we made recreational marijuana legal.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
