I know I get shit for this, but:
Nobody can groom a drawing.
Nobody can rape a drawing.
Nobody can abuse a drawing.
Nobody can manipulate a drawing into thinking sex is ok.
Nobody can force themselves on a drawing and threaten to kill it if it talks to the parents.
Nobody can take a drawing to a drag show or an explicit pride parade and fuck them up for life.
Nobody can manipulate a drawing over the internet to become a troon, take hormones and cross state lines.
Nobody can convince themselves that drawings represent real situations
Drawings don't have parents, friends, uncles or anything.
Drawings don't exist in reality.
Drawings don't make billions for sex slavers and criminal organizations.
Drawings can't be killed once people are done with them.
Drawings can't follow themselves around in real life and relive the abuse again and again.
Drawings don't have to experience the trauma of their abuse again by going to court.
All of these things are why child porn is illegal and loli is not. If there's no one being harmed, there is no reason to ban it. I've already stated my exceptions and I'll do so again. But there is no victim, so there is no crime.
Also there is very little to no evidence that lolicon leads to pedophilia at all. HOWEVER, there is a large body (literally) of evidence that cannibal fetishism leads to rape and murder. That fetish has actually killed people, so if you're looking for something to ban, focus on things we have evidence for.