Making drugs illegal wasn't radical. It was racist. Because it was the blacks doing drugs when drugs were first made illegal. It was also to protect domestic synthetic rope makers against the external hemp rope makers. And the paper industry. It became a fund raising opportunity for police departments and prisons. And protected intoxicants as being the realm of big tobacco and the alcohol industry, while protecting the medical pharmas from self medication. So yah, not radical.
The result is immoral. The result of the drug war is a police state, rampant drug gangs, "gateway drugs", meth lab toxic impacts, etc. The war on drugs doesn't benefit the people.