We treat people who use drugs as criminals purely for historical reasons. I think a democratic society needs a really good reason to treat someone as a criminal. The test should be, are they physically hurting others, or taking their rights away, by ingesting a drug? Yes, drug use can be dangerous, and drug use can sometimes hurt families and communities as well as the individual. But there are many dangerous things out there that you can do at your own risk, without being named a criminal. For example, sky diving, fishing off the rocks or even crossing the road.