I agree that lobbying by pharma companies (and probably alcohol producers and cigarette manufacturers as well) is a major reason why the war on drugs rages on, despite the fact that its hopelessness has been amply proven. Something else to consider is that a lot of people are employed by the war on drugs (the entirety of the DEA, who brought you this lovely article, for example). Without drug offenses, a lot fewer people would be required to enforce the laws of the land, which means unemployment would be significantly higher than it is today. I doubt any elected official wants that increase in unemployment on his/her resume.