Outside of inhalation, weed is about as addictive and dangerous as anxiety or depression medication, I am sure there are a few key differences, but overall the side effects and hazards are nearly identical. So looking at a pure logical viewpoint (ei I couldn't give a fuck about it being a gateway drug), weed should be classed about the same as those medications. But no it isn't, that can only mean that those drugs should also be class 1 (which is ridiculous), or that weed needs to be brought down.
morphine and heroin are pretty similar as well... but you need a prescription and a medical reason to be able to get morphine, much like anxiety/depression medication. selling potentially harmful drugs bought over the counter at a store is completely different to having an expert medical opinion REQUIRED to obtain aforementioned drug. the only thing you could really be arguing with this is legalization of medical marijuana; and if we can be honest here, that isn't what most pro-marijuana advocates want. whilst it'd be nice to give to terminal cancer patients and chronic pain sufferers, most people want to get high, not treat chronic pain.
just on that note, though, i'm not anti-marijuana. but i'm pretty against it being used by young people, not that illegality nor an age restriction would solve that (just look at alcohol). honestly, keeping it illegal would not change anything, so all the problems anti-marijuana advocates have with marijuana would not change. i smoke very rarely (in the last 2 years i have smoked 3 times), but don't really enjoy it in a mindblowing way (it's not really my style).
The specific mental disorder that seems to have the most literature on its relationship with cannabis is schizophrenia. Many anti-drug advocates will point to the positive correlation between cannabis use and schizophrenia and say that the former causes the latter. However, as any first-year psych or sociology student will tell you, correlation does not imply causation. From what I can gather, the best explanation for this relationship is that in many schizophrenics, there is a specific "trigger" that brings about the onset of the disorder, and that for schizophrenics who have smoked in the past or still smoke cannabis, that trigger was a psychotic episode brought on by cannabis consumption. In other words, smoking pot won't make you schizophrenic by itself, but if you're prone to schizophrenia anyway smoking pot might be the thing that "pushes you over the edge," so to speak.
this is the main problem i have with marijuana use in teenagers. i mean, whether marijuana use is caused by schizophrenia (self-medicating) or vice versa (marijuana is leading to schizophrenia), these are both bad things! i used to have problems with depression, and self-medicated with alcohol, and it nearly ruined my life. sure, you can say i was an idiot about it; but more people do this than you realize. if someone has an easily accessible 'escape' from a problem, why go to all the work of visiting a professional?
but, keeping it illegal isn't helping this issue at all (obviously), so i do not feel it needs to be illegal. what we need, really, is reliable education, not law enforcement (except for people driving under the influence...). it seems most education with drugs in general, but marijuana especially, comes from someone incredibly pro or against drug use. it should be presented as facts.
here in australia we didn't get the whole 'DARE' thing, and we were mostly just educated about what drugs did, and how to be safe about using them (e.g. to take half-doses of pills and wait for them to set in before taking the other dose to ensure you do not take too much, drink plenty of water, don't mix drugs etc.) and the long-term effects, which has kept me away from certain drugs (for example it is the reason i knew it was time to cut down heavily on both marijuana and drinking), so i guess it's worked for me!
...also anyone who says you can't be addicted to marijuana is being ridiculous. i have a friend who has an intense panic attack if she goes about 16 hours without marijuana, excluding that she gets jittery, can't sleep, etc. just because someone smokes and is not addicted, does not mean everyone who smokes is not addicted.
also, discussing the correlation/causational link between marijuana and schizophrenia. interesting enough:
here and
here. it's not really conclusive, but you get the idea.
