The point is less about his mental problems and more about how brutal drug laws are in America. Half of people in American jail's are drug offenders.
How insane?
Portugal, Netherlands have decriminalized drugs and have had no issues.
Why has US society adopted this meme that felony possession of, say, cocaine at age 25 should brand you unhireable for much of your professional life?
Obviously, your examples of Portugal and the Netherlands show that there is no overarching societal need for this branding.
It's so fucked how we have this illusion of Drugs being evil pounded into our head from an early age. When they're not really that big of a deal. Literally like 90% of the country does drugs. Some of the most successful people do Cocaine. Sorry...ALL of the most successful people do it.
You got fucked for being poor essentially OP.
The sick sick part is...it's all exploiting the vulnerable for money. Fines, Salaries, Budgets, Grants for Prisons..
This is all well explored by numerous journalists. I'm not treading any new ground here in my thoughts here though.
Sorry you got trapped in the Murican B.S. O.P.