Legalizing drugs and other activities that cause mass destruction in a society have always been one of the goals of left-wingers. In fact, drug legalizes is similar to other left-wing ideas that both Communist Party supported in the USA in 1963 that liberaltarians also support.
Communists and libertarians, common goals in the past 40 years:
Continue discrediting American culture by degrading all forms of artistic expression. An American Communist cell was told to "eliminate all good sculpture from parks and buildings, substitute shapeless, awkward and meaningless forms."
Eliminate all laws governing obscenity by calling them "censorship" and a violation of free speech and free press.
Break down cultural standards of morality by promoting pornography and obscenity in books, magazines, motion pictures, radio and TV.
. Present homosexuality, degeneracy and promiscuity as "normal, natural, healthy."
Before going back to lurking I'd like to ask the social conservatives a loaded question.
Why was alcohol prohibition repealed?
I'll even suggest my answer: The social costs of prohibition were higher then the costs of allowing alcohol. That seems a resonable test for a drug by drug discussion of legalization. That means you cannot use the social costs of herion or crack to justify keeping/making pot or caffine illegal. You also cannot ignore the social costs of prohibition, I ask you how much money was made illegally with bootleg booze last year? You many people went blind from wood alcohol last year?
Prohibition actually led to more drunks, beer and wine was hard to get, but rotgut whiskey was easy. Especially for the young there is a huge difference between drinking a glass or two of wine with a meal and doing shots while looking over your shoulder. The only statistics that show an increase in drinking after repeal mearly show a decrease in lying.
This would allow for a true diversity among the American people. For example, Oklahoma might decide to execute drug dealers and lock up marijuana users for life. New Mexico, on the other hand, might decide to allow cannabis bars.
The same variation in policies on health care, education, drug rehab, and vice would allow different approaches to societal ills. The only role for the Federal government in domestic policies should be to prohibit the State government from violating the US Constitution in the pursuit of its laws. The State must not violate the 2nd Amendment, for example.
This way, a liberal can be happy in a State that is more socialistic, the social conservative can live in a more puritan State, and a libertarian could live in a State that resembles the Old West, complete with bars, brothels,and opium dens!