The war on drugs, especially the war on Marijuana, is more a political war than anything else. When Prohibition in the United States was enacted, an entire Federal force was established to root out moonshiners and bootleggers. But when Prohibition was repealed, that force didn't want to give up their cushy jobs and power, so they needed to find another "habit" to outlaw. Since, at that time, Marijuana was mostly a drug used by "people of color", that became the new boogeyman.
Fast forward to the Nixon administration, and they upped the war as a tool to suppress the minority vote by passing draconian laws punishing drug users, especially pot smokers. Those laws have made "the freest nation on Earth" to be today's largest country of incarcerated citizens on Earth.
Although the Pharma industry has lobbied hard to keep Marijuana and it's benefits in the dark (by even making it illegal for any federal funds going to those who might STUDY Marijuana's benefits and uses officially), we are starting to see more and more information coming out, as the author has pointed out here.
Thanks for your post @medicalmarijuana ...very well done!