[Berlin_Freeper]

I don’t recall a study that indicates beer harms the brain development of people.

[southern rock]

What other "studies" do you put unwavering faith in? Hmmm?

[nathanbedford]

As a fellow resident of Germany, I no less than you am a proponent of drinking beer so long as it is German beer. But I do not deceive myself, alcohol when consumed is potentially harmful, even deadly, and statistically causes infinite cultural, societal, personal, and legal pain. Alcohol can be taken as beer or as straight vodka the latter is more dangerous than the former because it is more concentrated. Likewise mind altering drugs can be taken as pot or as "crocodile." The degree of harm varies but the fact of harm does not. In other words, crystal meth is far more dangerous than vodka but both can be deadly.

Society has concluded that it will not make alcohol illegal, even though statistically causes far more societal harm than illegal drugs because, on balance, the prohibition is worse than the abuse.

We have come to the same conclusion regarding pot. A study which shows that the harm of legalizing pot is worse than the harm caused by the war against pot might be of some instruction. Otherwise, drink up or light up, the study is BS-that means besides the point.

[Cowgirl of Justice]

My best friend’s 17 year old smokes pot. Boldly and proudly. Rehab is coming for him soon.

I was astounded when he dared to argue with me about it, saying pot was actually good for people. He then admonished me for having a glass of wine, saying I would die from alcohol long before he would die from smoking pot. When I pointed out that I was of legal age, imbibing a legal substance while he, as a minor, was consuming an illegal substance, he dug in further and started quoting from made up studies on how beneficial pot is.

We, as a country are so screwed.

[pepsi_junkie]

I don’t recall a study that indicates beer harms the brain development of people.

You need to look harder. Here are two:
NIH Study on effect of alcohol on adolescent brains
NPR story on study conducted by UC San Diego on brain scans of heavy drinking teens

Turns out any mind altering substance is bad for kids. Go figure.

That said, I personally have several adults in my own family who have had their lives and those of their families ruined by alcohol and others who had their lives cut short by tobacco.

So are you really suggesting that pot is more dangerous than alcohol?

[discostu]

Maybe because you never bothered to look for them:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/389985-beer-brain-damage/
http://phys.org/news157280425.html

[Vermont Lt]

Really?

Then why shouldn’t pregnant women drink alcohol?

Alcohol is way, way worse than pot in just about all categories.

Tobacco is worse is most categories.