Most of the harm surrounding drugs in this country comes from the attendant violence, theft and corruption that keeping them illegal produces. Our tax money would be more wisely and effectively spent on educating our citizens about the health dangers of drugs, rather than funding this idiotic war on drugs. Besides, inmates can still get drugs in prison. If as a nation we were sincerely dedicated to eradicating all dangerous substances that a human might ever ingest, the list of banned substances would be long, indeed. Alcohol is legal and yet many would argue that it is more deleterious than marijuana.
Cholesterol probably kills more people than cocaine.
Finally, there is a rogue nation that produces and exports a drug so addictive that people will continue to ingest it even after it has eaten away their bodies, and threatens them with imminent death. Unlike most other drugs, its use actually threatens the health of non-users. Up until recently this nation's government even subsidized its farmers who grow this drug. Huge, powerful organizations sanctioned by this government export this drug to the entire world with impunity. They insidiously entice children and teen-agers to use this drug.