[Mister X]

The ways that the responsibility for regulating things in the States are structured is fundamentally different than the Canadian system. The individual states make a much higher percentage of the laws than the provinces do here. In Canada all criminal law is basically part of the federal government's responsibility. The provinces have the responsibility for various other things and the cities/counties, etc. have very little responsibility for anything other than traffic and zoning laws. I believe that in the US it boils down to the Feds saying which drugs are illegal, the states setting the penalties, and individual jurisdictions decide whether or not to enforce them. Unless the so called crime takes place in more than one state, in which case it falls under federal jurisdiction. But I could be wrong. Hehe.