It's kinda like the meaning of life though: "have kids" is a perfectly reasonable explaination for ones "purpose" in life. However it's so boring and straight forward that people continue to seek the "real answer".
I'd disagree that the meaning of life is to have kids. Instead it seems like its just the best approximate solution to not to dying - pass on your DNA. To me the meaning of life is just to accept that you are alive and enjoy it as much as you can (which may involve trying to live as long as possible). Oh lord I just looked back at the title of this article - that's not what I'm suggesting :)
"I'd disagree that the meaning of life is to have kids."
It might very well be "to get high" ;)
A value in re-asserting a broad, cross-cultural interest in getting high is that it helps demystify it, helps people realize that the drive to get high it is not because of week will or moral turpitude or twisted genes.
It, like the desire to have kids, is simple a common, basic, human desire.
The example of LSD's fall from popularity is correct as far as it goes, but the LSD market was so distorted that it's a poor example. The DEA couldn't get a handle on it when it was hot (I recall reading a policymaker summary complaining that LSD dealers seemed largely unmotivated by money and were thus hard to track by normal means) and a single supplier who produced `90% of global supply isn't exactly normal either.
I do agree with the underlying premise of the article that a well-informed public is likely to produce more users but fewer casualties.
