Exactly. This is a question of values, that's all. Proportionality has nothing to do with it. People who argue for war against drugs do so because of their values, just like those who advocate legalization. Expense is not the issue. Then why do those who argue for a war on drugs not argue for that war to extend to alcohol, caffeine, and tobacco? If it is indeed a war on drug abuse, then where are the calls to incarcerate those who abuse alcohol in combination with prescription drugs (by the goverment's figures, that includes about 1 in 6 Americans over the age of 60)?
I have addressed that in the previous post: the question of where to draw the circle and that of the status quo.