It costs more money because it is illegal (demand supply curve). Just as large a percent of people use drugs as when the drug war started. So we're not saving a

It costs more money because it is illegal (demand supply curve). Just as large a percent of people use drugs as when the drug war started. So we're not saving anyone, we're just empowering gangs and cartels with higher prices. And then to feed those higher prices, driving addicts into prostitution or crime to make enough money. If they were legal, prices would come down. Fewer crimes would need to be committed to pay for them. Enforcement dollars could be redirected to education and treatment of addiction. And maybe the drug wars ravaging nearly every country to the South of us would go away.