Interesting point you make re drug dangers eg. marijuana (psychosis and schizophrenia). From what I understand, that seems to be connected with the prevalence of hydroponically grown marijuana. Hydro became popular because it could be grown indoors with grow lamps and was harder to spot than outdoor plantations. So even the above dangers are attributable to criminalisation, given that industrial production of marijuana only works where it is illegal and hydro is a product of industrial production.
I would suggest that the whole "drug problem"(however you define it) is caused by the criminalisation of drugs. Typical wowser own goal. Find something that someone doesn't like, convince others it must be banned, ban it, young and easily influenced are attracted to aforesaid activity where none had been before, other interests(financial and political) get involved, escalate, use "war on" metaphors, never admit defeat, damage untold lives in idiotic crusade, trample on civil liberties, use idiotic smokescreen crusade for other agendas, leave giant mess, start again elsewhere, wash rinse repeat.
We never had a drug problem before we had a "war on drugs". There was never a drug "problem" in modern terms when coca cola had cocaine in it, or one could buy heroin or laudanum( a mixture of morphine and alcohol) over the counter at chemists. Babies were given a drop of laudanum to cope with teething pain, or to help them to sleep.To our modern sensibilities that is nothing short of outrageous, perhaps people were a bit more pragmatic and could think for themselves(they had to) without relying on a myriad of talking head "experts" scaring the hell out of them with prognostications of disaster and ruin, leading to stupid crusades against human nature. A great film called "Reefer Madness" was made in all seriousness by the US Government as a drug education/propaganda film but is actually quite funny in all its absurdity. Probably attracted more young and impressionable to try drugs, what a joke.
Anytime someone declares war on X there will be more of X whether it be terror or drugs or whatever. As a bit of evidence , there is a book out on the net somewhere as a free PDF, Legal Highs.Lists all the other ways people get high. Most of them are unknown by the general population and remain so because they are legal and therefore aside from a few enthusiasts, young and stupid kids don't get involved. Lesson in there somewhere.
