That's not true. Alcohol can be the bane of the lives of small per centage of people in our society (maybe 5%), but for the most part is well assimilated into our culture. Certainly as people mature most can drink moderately and responsibly and occasionally. It is generally held to be a 'social' intoxicant, and in moderate use is well tolerated and transient in its effects, washing out of the system in a day or so.
Marijuana is in fact a NARCOTIC... not the benign 'love' drug of reputation. It has a powerful inward momenturm, isolating users, destroying social self confidence, sabatoging planning and engagement of critical 'life' processes, especially in employment and family.
It has documented psychotic symptoms with habitual use. It stays in the system for weeks. Any regular smoker knows how easy it is to trigger another high, by activating the THC stored up in the fat system with a couple of tokes.
Although not inevitably linked with other addictive drugs... meth, heroin, cocaine.. it is linked in culturural and psychological attributes.
It strikes me as this is only the first step in the drug legalization lobby. The thin edge of the wedge.. which will see all drugs decriminalized under the aegis of 'personal freedom'. Likely with catastrophic results for society as a whole.
