Sadly, the WoD still trumps most rational arguments, even when fundamental Constitutional Rights are at stake.
My position on drugs: If the drug is fairly innocuous, leave it alone, not a problem. If it's a killer drug, like meth or heroin, let the junkies choose their own destruction. When opium and cocaine were available at the local pharmacy, we had a dramatically lower addiction rate. Tougher and tougher laws against crack cocaine, yet the area I live in is awash in the stuff. Black tar heroin is being sold to teenyboppers in many cities for $10 a hit. The WoD is wildly counterproductive, but this truth is also counterintuitive to so many 'right thinking' Americans.
Right on with 99% of your post, ARFAR. Again, you're coming at it again from a slightly different direction than I am, so I do have a comment or two.
With my mindset, I have no problem, so far, with the "civil rights violations" you talk about, because I agree with the legislators' thoughts of protecting the general populace. I also disagree with calling these law changes "civil rights violations". Just a quibble with your choice of the word. "Infringement" works better for me, because it does apply to a narrowing of behavior without suggesting unlawfulness.
Don't worry about it. I know what you mean.
The WoD has created some absolute arcanities in the law, most particularly with respect to the 4th amendment. But as long as folks support the idea that drugs need to be suppressed via law enforcement efforts, and I don't think that's going to change much any time soon (it could!), new law will be continue to be created.
But, hey, take the bad with the good. Plenty of those decisions go against the cops. It's not a one-way street.
At one point, my adult son expressed the same position on drugs as you described....NM MJ, let the heavy drug users die in the alleys. He was messing with psychedelics then, and hated the (justified)paranoid feelings he had over perhaps being arrested for doing something he felt was nobody's business but his. He talked of going to live in Europe to avoid that feeling. He never did come close to getting arrested or even becoming the subject of an investigation, AFAIK. We didn't talk much more about it, as you can imagine.
Awash is indeed the word. Please respect the attitudes of those of us who agree with the law and LE efforts to enforce drug laws. We're not misguided, and we can certainly respect your position without agreeing with it at all. Sure doesn't mean we can't argue our heads off though, does it? 8-)