The war on drugs makes a lot of money for a lot people on both sides of the law.
This is the reason those in power on both sides want it to continue ad infinitum, not unlike the war on terror. It's up to us who have a valuable little to gain to fight against the incumbents who have a _lot_ to lose, and so will fight nail and tooth.
From the post:
Some opponents of prohibition pointed to Al Capone and increasing crime, violence and corruption. Others were troubled by the labeling of tens of millions of Americans as criminals, overflowing prisons, and the consequent broadening of disrespect for the law. Americans were disquieted by dangerous expansions of federal police powers, encroachments on individual liberties, increasing government expenditure devoted to enforcing the prohibition laws, and the billions in forgone tax revenues. And still others were disturbed by the specter of so many citizens blinded, paralyzed and killed by poisonous moonshine and industrial alcohol.
Pound for pound, the amoeba is the most vicious animal on earth.