By open,

I mean I saw several local higglers smoking on the beach. Locals were at bars on the beach smoking. I was just wondering.
Again, I live in So. Florida and some people openly consume alcohol on the streets even though there is a law against doing that. The police see them and yet they don't bust them.... why? Well, part of the reason is that it will do no good anyways. They arrest them and that takes a lot of time and paperwork and not too long later they are doing the same thing again.

I think the same can be said of your higgler example. And, to add to the problem, some of them could easily be working undercover as that is often how a tourist gets busted or they work with a policeman "friend" who waits until you are comfortably enjoying your herb with your new-found-Rasta-friend and then swoops in for the kill.

As I said before. Things are not always as open as they seem.

Peace and Guidance