Preliminary and ongoing research suggests otherwise. Had a brain scan lately ?"
Maybe, but i see alcoholic cirrhosis every day. I'm not aware that I ever seen any significant medical effects directly attributable to pot.
The "average drinker" might have a couple of beers on the weekend and doesent end up with cirrohsis of the liver.
Care to speculate on what the "occasional" pot smoker has stored in his lungs and done to his brain ? (i.e. changes in the activity of nerve cells containing dopamine , etc)