An issue of Culpability, not Cannabis

I have seen a bevy of articles concerning the legalization of marijuana in Colorado recently and thought I could add my perspective on the legalization of drugs in general. The issue I have most with many opposers to the new law is the train of thought that many anti-drug figures have on the issue. Proponents of the ban on illicit drugs assume that if drugs were legalized everyone would run out to start using drugs. I believe that is far from a given, I for one, have never been near the stuff and would not have any desire to become an addict if the opportunity were presented to me in the form of Colorado's cannabis. If somebody woke up one morning and decided they wanted to start regularly taking illegal drugs, I'm not sure there would be much stopping them in this community specifically and elsewhere. That is testament to the war on drugs and my belief that it has caused more negatives than positives.
Before the US had any federal regulation of drugs, most people remained productive members of society and handled what we call illegal drugs, just like nicotine and alcohol. That is, until the prohibition of alcohol which further proves my point. Gangsters like Al Capone became very rich as a result of trafficking the newly outlawed substance and looking at the power of the cartels today, it appears the same relationship has formed with illicit drugs and kingpins. Billions poured into drugs by American consumers and all of it going to violent criminals. Imagine none of it going to outlaws and a percent going to the government in the form of taxes. Add on the money saved on nonviolent drug offenders being absent from jails and the national deficit looks much less intimidating. The most important aspect of nonviolent offenders being released is that as a result the prison system has become unsustainable is simply wrong in its current state as we learned in class. Three minor drug crimes equating to a life sentence is simply ridiculous, many rapists and murders do not serve that kind of time. Moreover, many nonviolent convicts become violent in jail as a result of the abuse they endure while locked up; not quite the rehabilitation that the pamphlet advertises.
Knowing that this a very sensitive topic and that many people have a strong opinion on I feel the need to counter many common criticisms of the legalization of drugs. The main concerning of the Colorado law is that cannabis is a gateway drug that leads to more harmful drug use eventually. I would retort that alcohol and nicotine are just as much of gateway drugs as any other illegal substance. Also the argument that driving high will be a huge problem has been posited and to that I would say the same procedure that is used with alcohol will ultimately be applied to drugs.
The turning point for me in this debate was when Ron Paul was asked about his extreme belief that all drugs should drugs during a presidential debate and he boiled the argument down to the simple question of do I need the government to tell what I have to put in my body or can I be accountable for what I choose to do or not do to myself. That really struck me because for all the health classes and school sponsored seminaries about drug use, it still seems like the legislation is crafted with the assumption that all of us are incapable of taking care of ourselves. What is to stop the government from telling me that I can't have a Twix bar, you know it causes diabetes so why let that product continue to flood the streets with sugary consequences. If people truly believe they can't let themselves be culpable for their own actions, then I think the debate has to larger than drugs could ever be.