I use no drugs - including the lethal mind-altering drug alcohol. I support drug legalization because the only demonstrable effect of anti-drug laws is to hyperinflate drug profits and channel those profits into criminal hands, with all the ills that ensue.
I would not be surprised if the negative social effects of legalizing drugs did not outweigh the present negative social effects of criminalizing them. That’s to a considerable extent because we export a lot of the negative effects to Mexico and elsewhere.
Mexicans like this poor lady die because Americans want to get high.
That wouldn’t happen, but if legalized it is certain that drug usage would increase. We’d see a lot more of the bad effects of the drug itself, and a lot less of the side effects of attempting to outlaw use.
Whether A would be less than B is a good question, and I don’t have the answer.