“But, a joint does more harm than a martini.”
Prove it!
You are obviously defensive about your pot use. Pay attention: I don’t think it should be illegal, but I also don’t support RECREATIONAL use. If I had your problems, and pot alleviated them, I’d use it. If I had severe back pain that opioids would relieve, I’d use them. But I would use neither recreationally. As for the alcohol/pot harm debate, the left for a long time has propagandized on the issue, and as they have seized institutions, governmental and otherwise, the discussion has become less than candid. The same has happened with discussions of the climate, the sodomite lifestyle, “gender”, and many other issues. As for the issue of relative harm, I think it was arguable in the old “mellow yellow” days. With THC concentrations now reaching 27%, we are in completely different territory.
Here’s one summary of the issue that is valuable:
https://amgreatness.com/2016/09/25/lie-travels-comparing-alcohol-marijuana/
“Culture warriors”, their friends in government and universities, the nascent pot industry, and politicians eager for new revenue sources will all muddy the water. In 20 years all will see the wreckage, just as the drug culture of the 60’s left it’s wreckage. Do not misunderstand, I am not saying alcohol is benign. The temperance movement, much maligned, had a legitimate point. Alcohol is enormously destructive, and that in large part because of it’s social acceptance and widespread availability. Given the same level of acceptance and availability, pot will be a huge problem. Having said that, criminalization, like Prohibition, is the wrong response to RECREATIONAL use. Some people will always use alcohol and other drugs. There are no utopian solutions. What you can do is provide disincentives (no welfare for drug users), enforce laws against any form of public intoxication, and work at persuading people.