I know people with MS who smoke pot to ease the pain, they don't start popping pills and snorting coke to gain the same effect (although I'm sure it would).
In Amsterdamn there are many cafe bars which allow you to smoke the ganja, so imo, smoking pot is not such a bad thing. I'm not saying "Hey kids go buy some weed and get high", but I for one would be a lot happier if my son, when he's of age, would chill with his mates smoking the herb rather than going out, getting bladdered and starting fights with other pissed up fools.
Not that all drinkers are like that, but you get what I mean.