The problem is that if the law is arguably unethical or arbitrary, you're going to catch more "good" people in it. My comment was not so much a defense of Ross as it was an accusation against unjust drug law.

Imagine a hypothetical law which arrests anyone who trades in red shirts. Someone comes along and doesn't see what the big deal is and decides to trade in these shirts on the black market. Lives are saved because it is impossible to get shot at while paying for red shirts over the Internet instead of in person. Then the dude who ran the red shirt marketplace and seems like an opportunistic idealist gets locked up with the key thrown away.

Anyway, it is arguable that the Silk Road saved lives, given that black markets are persistent regardless of legality.

https://cybercrimejournal.com/pdf/Lacson%26Jonesvol10issue1I...

https://gwern.net/doc/darknet-market/silk-road/1/2013-vanhou...