[imtringued]

For people with withdrawal symptoms and dependency "illegal drugs" are medicine just like any other legal drug. The biggest problem with illegal drugs is the lack of proper dosage and access to clean drugs without contaminants (codeword for brick dust) from street dealers who wouldn't mind ruining the health of their customers for a quick profit. If you let doctors give these people what they need in a safe manner it is possible to reduce most of the downsides of illegal drugs.

Imprisonment just fuels the pockets of drug dealers and gives organized crime a profit motive. Ever wondered why terrorism is so rare but organized crime is so common? Because terrorism isn't profitable.