Drugs are perceived as an assault on the idea of free will itself, which is fundamental to many "red state" politicial philosophies (including free market and r

Drugs are perceived as an assault on the idea of free will itself, which is fundamental to many "red state" politicial philosophies (including free market and religion). Drugs challenge free will through addiction as well as influence on behavior ("under the influence"). Marijuana just got swept up in that whole idea, and ended up polarizing like everything else. But even the most hardcore libertarian would hesitate to say it should be legal for 14 year olds to get meth or fentanyl at the corner store. There's a big difference between illegal and "war on drugs"-illegal, though. Most small-government types would probably agree once you point out the kind of government apparatus that's built up around the war on drugs.