Considering that the US once passed a Constitutional amendment to
attempt to ban alcohol, then later passed another to repeal it, one
must wonder how many barriers have been placed in the way of
distilling ethanol for fuel.

After all, such stills must be tightly regulated or someone might
manage to get a few ml. of untaxed ethanol and "misuse" it.



Any one in the US can get a permit to make ethanol. Once distilled it must
be made poisonous immediately. Usually they do that by adding 15% gasoline.