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for drugs like heroin and meth i think it should be legal but highly regulated, and rehab should be government sponsored and free for those who need it, drug abuse as a social ill is a fact of life and the responsiblity for harm reduction lies on the government. Jail never helped anybody.

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Or even illegal but still available through government programs to help addicts get off the drug. I agree with you that it's extremely important to have harm minimisation policies, and to admit that people will still use drugs. Making those drugs illegal to begin with serves one purpose: it spreads a general stigmatism about their use, which helps to discourage people taking up the habit. Also, the government wouldn't like to be seen actually selling heroin.
Cannabis and mushrooms and other soft drugs are okay, because it's easy for the general public to believe (rightfully) that they are relatively harmless and it's okay to be able to buy them in coffee shops.

But heroin and meth? People are never going to accept them being freely available in shops, because the negative effects are so apparent.

So the best solution (I think) is to make the addictive drugs illegal but provide support for people wanting to kick the habit; and meanwhile make the soft drugs legal but regulated, which will improve the quality of them immensely.