As a libertarian (small l) I would certainly be willing to compromise on the drug issue.
We could keep those drugs illegal in the same way they were in, say the 1950's...go to jail if you are dealing or publicly under the influence.
But we have to get rid of the no-knock raids, the asset forfeitures, and the local cops tricked out like military commandos.
We need a Conservative Party—with Libertarian Ideals but without the egghead notions expressed by them. Ron Paul is my idea of a good thinker. Still, I would welcome Penn and Teller into a new Conservative Party but don’t see their show unless you can handle the F-word being used a lot.
It's the asset forfeitures and federal grant money for SWAT teams that drive the major crazyness. Follow the money.
A hundred years ago, there were no laws against cocaine or heroin. Prior to passage of the Harrison Narcotics Act in 1914, people could buy opiates in the local pharmacy. While there were a number of addicts, social controls kept a lid on things.
Since there was no welfare, anybody who became an addict ceased to be productive and became a burden on his or her family, who would have a strong incentive to deal with the addict. Not surprisingly, drug abuse became a big problem around the same time that welfare programs eliminated much of the consequences of allowing somebody to become an addict.