Actually, I believe that addictive drug use and the WOD as it is currently being pursued are two different, and only marginally related, social problems. I don't really understand why, but the "War on drugs" doesn't seem to be keeping these poisons from being widely available. And no, I don't have a better idea. And it seems to me that with no-knock raids and asset-theft "laws" the WOD is doing substantial damage to Americans' constitutional rights. Two different problems, both destructive.
This is the part that bothers me the most, admittedly. The WOD will cost us our guns, because of the turf battles over inner cities, caused by the money that results from the black market in drugs.
There's just too damn much money at stake. Enough money to buy whomever they need to buy. I say this as someone who has spent some years as an antidrug warrior on the law enforcement side of the fence. I've seen the corruption first hand, and it is sickening.
The last thing in the world that the inner city gangs would ever want is the legalization of drugs. When a 15 year old kid can make $1000 a day dealing and protecting his territory with his 9mm Glock, it is lunacy to think that he'd be just as happy working at McDonalds. Every time he uses his pistol, its a nail in the coffin of my right to carry my Kimber.
Some day I'll lose my right to carry mine, and he'll still have his. That, in my estimation, is a bad thing. It's worse that the thing we are trying to cure.
We're playing right into their hands.