Why is the US so strict on drug laws?

Because the government makes more money from its illegality but they spin to the American people that it is actually for their safety but in reality many corporations that fund politicians campaigns and lobby them in Congress benefit from the criminalization of drugs including marijuana. I also think many people support the criminalization of drugs because they like big government and they like telling people what they can and cannot do with their own personal lives and they want the government to protect them from drugs being in their community when in reality the drugs are already in the community. Oh and to Typo, just because marijuana was in the system of people committing heinous acts of murdering, raping, robbing or even dying doesn't mean that marijuana was the sole cause that caused the person to die or commit those other acts. For all you know the marijuana could have had no effect. I think you speak in absolutes and you fail to mention that not all marijuana users are apathetic unsuccessful losers. Sure there are plenty and I'm sure most of them use harder drugs but there are also plenty of successful marijuana smokers that have become doctors, lawyers, business men and women, etc. There's no need to speak in absolutes there is always an exception to every rule.