Yeah man it's all about social control. First it was keep down the minorities, then Nixon went after the war protesters and civil rights movement. After that, mofos in the CIA DEA and even local law enforcement found they could make a shit load of money selling drugs, selling protection, and essentially robbing people vis-á-vis civil asset forfeiture.
Anyone who actually looks at the National Survey on Drug Abuse and Health can plainly see that rates of drug use haven't changed in the last 30 years, even while the number of drug arrests, incarcerations, and interdictions has increased exponentially.
So the war on drugs isn't about drugs, it's about money and power, and it's taking a free society and transforming it into a police state.