> why are chemically addictive substances like tobacco and caffeine legal I guess because they help you get up early to work an extra shift at the factory or w

> why are chemically addictive substances like tobacco and caffeine legal I guess because they help you get up early to work an extra shift at the factory or whatever. People get nervous about drugs when they make you sleepy or appear lazy, which I'm guessing is why people hated marijuana so much. Caffeine and nicotine don't have that problem; they wake you up and make you work harder, which society sees as great. This doesn't explain alcohol, though, I guess. They tried to ban it once but it didn't take. The problem there is probably not the level of harm, but rather how ubiquitous ethanol is. Leave some sugar water out and it turns into ethanol eventually. That's a problem for people trying to ban it.