Generally, our response as a country has been that we should retain autonomy over our body until the point where we endanger someone else s autonomy. Simply put, if it does not hurt anyone else, we should be allowed to use our body as we see fit. We can all agree that someone should not be allowed to shoot guns into crowds of people because they enjoy the sound of people screaming. So we make a law stating that it is illegal to do such a thing and trust the government to enforce this law. Thus we agree to give up some of our autonomy and in return expect to not have guns shot at us.
Government laws seem to reach further and further into our bodies.
The question of whether or not marijuana is a dangerous drug becomes instead a question of whom we want deciding and regulating these things for us. Throw into the equation the corrupt nature of our government and the huge monetary bribes the lobbyists of tobacco industry and prescription medication companies wield and one begins to wonder if the government is looking out for our best interest at all. Of course the government justifies squashing autonomy. In the abortion issue, it is argued the autonomy of the unborn child should be taken into consideration. If the government put half of the money into research, regulation, rehabilitation, and education that they put into their ridiculous policy of blanket illegalization and Just Say No propaganda, they would have a much more effective way of dealing with the problem.