Methamphetamine, which is what I think you mean by "abuse of drugs based on over the counter pseudoephedrine", does not get the same sympathy as opioids. The re

Methamphetamine, which is what I think you mean by "abuse of drugs based on over the counter pseudoephedrine", does not get the same sympathy as opioids. The reason is because people aren't getting addicted to methamphetamine via the actions of trusted medical professionals. Methamphetamine is a long way from being over-the-counter, requiring a reaction with either anhydrous cryogenic ammonia or with phosphorous and iodine. I don't believe that penalties for crack and cocaine are evidence for racial discrimination. (crack being largely black, and cocaine being largely hispanic) When a new drug appears and rapidly becomes popular with lots of resulting violence, we legislate in a panic. The resulting legislation is unlikely to be well-thought-out or consistent with anything else. In the years since then we have made adjustments, most recently in 2018 when Trump helped 2,600 people imprisoned for crack by signing the First Step Act. In any case, people of all races have a very simple and reliable way to avoid getting in trouble for the non-opioid drugs. Just say no.