It's kinda like the meaning of life though: "have kids" is a perfectly reasonable explaination for ones "purpose" in life. However it's so boring and straight forward that people continue to seek the "real answer".
It might very well be "to get high" ;)
A value in re-asserting a broad, cross-cultural interest in getting high is that it helps demystify it, helps people realize that the drive to get high it is not because of week will or moral turpitude or twisted genes.
It, like the desire to have kids, is simple a common, basic, human desire.