“150 Years ago, there were no drug laws in America and there were no overwhelming drug problems. How bright do you really need to be to figure that one out? “
In fact there was a widespread drug problem in the US that started almost exactly 150 years ago. The Civil War left a huge number badly injured soldiers in its wake and many of them became addicted to morphine. But late 19th century drug addiction wasn’t limited to disabled vets. Powerful drugs were widely available in patent medicines sold over the counter. The main restriction on 19th century drug abuse is the fact that a good number of compounds weren’t synthesized until the 1800s.
What was the states response to the soldiers that had become addicted to morphine? They made it harder to obtain a product that was very effective at relieving their pain. One that they could walk into any drugstore and for a pittance purchase a pain reliever. Did some abuse it? Of course they did. Are people abusing alcohol? Of course they still are.
Want to save the world? Do it yourself, don’t use the state power of force. Government is force at the point of a gun. Develop another pain reliever that is not addictive that is superior in effectiveness than the substance that is addictive.
In 1880, many drugs, including opium and cocaine, were legal — and, like some drugs today, seen as benign medicine not requiring a doctor's care and oversight. Addiction skyrocketed. There were over 400,000 opium addicts in the U.S. That is twice as many per capita as there are today.
My note: The population in 1880 was 50 million, so the addiction rate to opium alone was 0.8%. The DEA goes on to say:
By 1900, about one American in 200 was either a cocaine or opium addict.
That is a 0.5% addiction rate counting cocaine and opium addicts.
¹http://www.justice.gov/dea/demand/speakout/06so.htm