Always strong opinions and little thought to subjects such as drugs but most are complaining about addiction. Not all drinkers are alcoholics but alcohol addiction is an issue. Alcohol is a drug, so are cigarettes, caffeine, even exercise or driving a car.
The DSM-IV has been the most overused piece of rubbish document in the history of the world. Psychologists trying to turn subjective observation into objective thesis. This document once had caffeine addiction and homosexuality as a mental issue - one has been removed. Guess which one. The moment that everyone realises that all "addictions" are turned into a profit play with scant regard for the health of the individual the better these debates will be.
For reference - one of the first government anti-hemp bills was the anti-
marijuana tax act 1937 in the USA uses a Mexican slang term rather than cannabis. Why is it a Tax act? Oh that's right the Government wants to make money from it. Though at this stage there was hardly any recreational use in the USA. The act was supported and pushed by the cousin to DuPont in the White House. Dupont had a new product called nylon to make rope and it's main competitor was hemp. When the act came in profits soared - surprisingly? WWII came though and that posed a problem as nylon needs oil, oil was scarce so the act was repealed albeit temporarily.
March 30, 1961 marked the signing of the Single Convention Treaty on Narcotic Drugs, which initiated the international policy of cannabis prohibition. After this point, now that "mary jane" and all of her sisters and brothers were fully prohibited world wide prices sky rocketed along with its use by the world population.
The war on drugs is a farce. It's designed to fail, and designed to continue the high prices so that a certain population can profit, in which governments are included. Wasn't it our federal government that took a convicted drug dealer to court for unpaid taxes, then lost an appeal on his right to deduct "being ripped off at gunpoint" as a legitimate deduction of the business of drug dealing.
My limited view, in 20 odd years of being involved in the nightclub/bar/music/concert scene as a sound engineer I'd rather meet a stoner on a high than a drunk every single time.
I guess now with cigarette smoking almost gone, health warnings about to appear on alcohol, I'll just await for official prohibition and enjoy paying $100 for a home brew at my local "alco dealer".
There's a great book on this issue of drugs, the war upon, etc called
The Candy Machine: How cocaine took over the world. Very useful read.