I don't think so. I have smoked almost my entire life and have smoked my fair share of dope when I was younger. I have never experienced any diminished mental capacity after smoking a cigarette where as I know for a fact I am not safe to drive a car while stoned. If I am stoned, figuring out the stereo remote control might be something of a chore.
I have to agree with Dane, I would not want a surgeon to be cutting on me after he had been smoking dope.
"Mind altering" is not limited to diminished mental capacity. In the case of nicotine the most significant alteration is establishing a physical addiction. Wheather the temporary alteration of mental ability of THC is more dangerous than the rapid physical addiction of nicotine is a subjective determination.