I never understood the attraction of smoking weed for the following reasons:
1. Always been illegal in every state I've lived in.
2. Limits job opportunities.
3. Health problems from inhaling smoke (of any kind) into lungs.
4. Too many users don't know where to draw the line between using it responsibly at home vs driving or going to work high.
4. Kinda got soured by the stupid argument that smoking pot is better than drinking alcohol or using harder drugs. It may very well be, but it's not exactly a healthy choice. The only exception would be prescribed medical marijuana for actual medical problems. My little brother has a medical pot card and has absolutely nothing wrong with him. I would hazard a guess that a good portion of "medical" marijuana cards are held by folks who have nothing wrong with them and just like to smoke pot.
5. Ratios of folks I've personally met who's lives are better from smoking weed vs lives are worse due to smoking weed is like 1:100. This is said after a career as a journalist having met a crap-ton of folks from all walks of life who smoke weed.
Still, I think it and many other drugs should be legalized. We're not doing our society any favors by criminalizing casual drug use. If you want to use pot then go ahead, but understand you have a responsibility to not let your recreational drug use negatively effect the rest of us. No smoking in public or driving, going to work, etc. while under the influence.
In the end, who the fuck am I or law enforcement or the government to tell you not to smoke weed if you can do so while remaining an otherwise law-abiding, self-support, productive member of society.
Let me first say that I generally agree wholeheartedly with your stance, but I would like to offer the following retort:
1. Well, not much to say here. Some people don't care to follow 100% of the law to the letter 100% of the time. This includes even things like casual drug use, speeding, piracy, etc.
2. True, but for some people, the kinds of jobs that actively test for marijuana use may not even be the jobs that they would even want. A lot of white collar jobs in even relatively liberal regions don't actively test - they sure as hell don't want you coming to work high or getting high while there, but these are the kinds of employers who would also not like to tell you what you can and can't do on your own personal time. Generally, pretty solid careers if you are otherwise a competent employee.
3. Well, don't smoke it, silly. Vape it, eat it, or some other method with the oils and concentrates. No medical prescription suggests inhalation via combustion. You can, if you want to, as it'll be a slightly different experience versus vaping. But if you are health conscious, it's stupid to do that.
4. No arguments here. Though I would add that, while not necessarily "healthy" it can be decidedly not unhealthy. Depending on method of consumption, the various cannabinoids, terpenes, and other botanicals can play a pivotal role in tumor suppression and hormonal regulation. Not to say it can't make you sick, but it can also [likely] help combat some cancers and prevent others.
5. Sometimes the ones who are obvious are those less likely to succeed in achieving some balance. You may have met many others who didn't proselytize the virtues of weed and yet regularly dabbled in it themselves. They work their 9-5s or other shifts, do what they need to do on the job and in life in order to succeed, and have the occasional toke to relax and enjoy themselves. They may be the rarity, but it's quite common with alcohol in the relatively up-tight law-abiding community. A lot of our common population is able to enjoy a drug, alcohol in this case, perhaps regularly imbibing with a drink or two every evening but possibly letting go at a weekend event. Sometimes the psychiatric community wants to label that alcoholism, but I would disagree in most circumstances. But my point being here, many individuals hold themselves together, hold down a steady job, keep up with bills, keep a family together, etc. And they do so while still occasionally enjoying a drug. They likely wouldn't partake if it were actively prohibited, as it once was... briefly. Give a generation or two of otherwise law-abiding citizens enjoying legal recreational marijuana, I would argue you will see a not-insignificant portion of society enjoying some recreational activities, while otherwise remaining successful in life.