Alcohol ruins more lives than hard drugs do.
Citation needed.
Per population, yes, but per user, most certainly not.
Drugs ruin lives. There is no amount of meth or heroine or cocaine or LSD (et al.) that does not ruin lives. Alcoholism ruins more families, yes, but because there are more alcoholics. Legalizing drugs would not make drugs ruin fewer lives.
It would make prisons ruin fewer lives, and the regulation would make it safer. The United States does pretend to be a free country after all.