Living in "My God It's Kansas" I understand exactly what you are talking about. I think the only way to get the laws changed is to inform the public of the benifits of legalizing marijuana, as most politicians have no original thoughts or backbones. For instance, the Southern Baptists still think cannabis is a gateway drug. But research shows that it actually can help people quit more harmful addicting substances such as opiates and tobbaco.
Right now, the federal government is going through this "sequester". They don't want any more tax, nor do they want to cut spending. How about a new revenue stream. Legalize and tax Marijuana! And put every penny of the tax in Medicare and Medicade. This would alleviate the money issues for both the states and the Fed.....Whoops! fell off my soap box...............lol