system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
(Star Trek) Why is Romulan Ale Illegal in Federation Space?

In my time as a Tactical Officer aboard the USS Artemis I have been to my fair share of systems, and every shore leave I would collect a bottle of alcohol as a memento. Now I've had everything from Klingon bloodwine to Saurian brandy to Aldebaran whiskey but I could never obtain a bottle of Romulan ale! I've never fully understood why Romulan ale was illegal, why is it illegal and how would I be able to get a bottle of it?
gpt
Trade embargoes. They're an allegory for the US trade embargo against Cuba that makes importing Cuban cigars, an otherwise perfectly legal product, illegal.

As soon as the Federation and the Empire became allies during the Dominion war the embargo was lifted. For some reason it was put back in place shortly after the war ended.