I think it's fairly true to say that The Beatles were jokers - they seem, from their music, to love a little bit (or a lot) of quirkiness, many tracks over their albums could be considered relatively off the wall (Wild Honey Pie, for example). For me, the simple act of having a few psychedelic album covers does not mean that they were trying to hype up their drug use. I don't think I've ever paired The Beatles and drugs, except when people talk about Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds. It's not a necessary image for them (which I think is something you're arguing); their music stands up perfectly well without it.
Basically, I agree with you in that they weren't a particularly drug fueled band, but I disagree with you in that I don't think they ever really "hyped" their association with drugs, by virtue of the fact that I don't associate them with drugs. Doing something crazy, dressing up in animal costumes... none of the things they did actually require you to be on drugs. Sure, it's easier to be crazy if you're strung up on acid, but it could easily have been their idea of a bit of fun, without any real intention of portraying themselves as hardcore drug users.
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