Quote Originally Posted by Big D
...yet ignore the more logical comparison with tobacco. Cannabis is far worse than tobacco, an unfiltered joint unleashing far more carcinogens and tar, leading to much more severe cardiovascular effects. Add to that the correlation between cannabis usage and certain neurological disorders in later life. A steady use of alcohol, in a daily but regulated amount, is beneficial to health, at the very least it's not permanently harmful. Regular doses of tobacco smoke or cannabis have lasting effects; tar and whatnot don't simply get circulated out of our systems.
Big D, I don't mean to be rude, but you need to get your facts straight. Let's start with the highlighted phrase "cannabis is far worse than tobacco". This may be true, as an "unfiltered" joint realeases more amounts of smoke, but you have to take into consideration that marijuana can be "consumed" in much healthier ways. How? well, eating and vaporizing cannabis (none of which will contain tar and smoke, things you cannot take out from tobacco).

Next, your statement of "the correlation between cannabis usage and certain neurologic disorders" lacks evidence. Consuming marijuana has an instant side effect, which is paranoia, and although it causes this while you are high, you do not remain paranoid afterwards. "But I refer to long term usage" you might say, well, this hasn't been proved yet. You can find that almost everything (articles, tests, etc.) that suggests (I repeat again, SUGGESTS) this "link" between mental disorders and marijuana has to do with the government (any) and their "War on Drugs", which, by the way, does more harm to people than good (but that is another subject).

Then you say "a steady use of alcohol, in a daily but regulated amount, is beneficial to health, at the very least it's not permanently harmful". This, I believe, is true. I have known that drinking A GLASS (1) OF WINE a day may be beneficial to your health (don't know exactly what it does). Now, do you know that there is research being done that states that marijuana could stop the development of cancer? Did you know that marijuana can be used to alleviate nausea and some pain? Did you knwo that one drop of nicotine could kill you?Here are some useful links:

Mental Disorders & Marijuana
Marijuana & Cancer

EDIT: Don't have time to post more links, but I will do so ASAP.