Pretty much. Most modern drugs are a far, far more potent version of something that came before. Depending on how far you go with it, you could even apply this principle to the cigarette. The safer, lower-dose version is to chew tobacco leaves.

There are many reasons for the popularization of more concentrated drugs, but the two big ones are that more potent drugs generally make for cheaper doses, and that it's more profitable to create addicts than to create satisfied customers.

The latter is also an increasing problem outside the drug space, e.g. gambling and pay-to-win video games.