Well, what do you want? A multibillion dollar infrastructure of corrupt officials to facilitate contraband smuggling, or do you want a border you have a chance of controlling? As long as there is demand for cocaine, you can't have both.
We draw such lines when it comes to crimes against persons and property-and we draw them for a reason : that reason being society needs and demands such laws.
Drug laws-in all their spiderweb intricacy-did not just happen. They were passed,long before most of us were born,because drugs had become an everyday evil in society. Infants were drugged with opiate syrups to keep them quiet. Dangerously addictive morphine derivatives were prescribed-or sold over the counter-with no more consideration than we give aspirin.Opium dens operated more-or-less openly, and promising lives went up in smoke and dreams.
This first "war on drugs" was very nearly won, with a combination of legal, moral,and societal sanctions.Drug use was a "wrong side of the street" thing for at least half of the 20th century :It was "just not done"; and those who used drugs were pitied-or, at the very least, thought to be strange,backward,alien.
The 1960's came, and drug use was suddenly glamorized. It is still glamorized, in spite of the monstrous wreckage it has caused. (Tune in any late night comedy show,and you'll hear at least 2 drug-related jokes, which receive thunderous applause.)
Society has spent billions trying to undo the deliberate machinations of those who wanted to pull it down-and will probably spend billions more-most of which will be in vain.
Does this mean Society should forfeit the battle, or that it should change tactics ?
ps: If we forfeit the battle, why not give up on other laws as well, and revert to anarchic savagery ?