The question is fundamentally what is worse, the drugs or the drug war? It seems clear to me that the drug war is far worse.
The drug war destroys lives of innocent people. It incentivises police corruption. It incentivizes the distribution of hard drugs. It puts money into the pockets of organized crime. It often keeps people who need help from getting help. It undermines our very Constitution. The drug war is a failed and very expensive social experiment. We need to find another way.