I would be the last person to minimize the harm that people who abuse alcohol do in this country but I'll point out some facts that lend some perspective to an alcohol vs. marijuana debate.

The vast majority of people that use alcohol on a regular basis (weekly or more) do not drink to the point of impairment while the same can not be said of marijuana users. In fact, marijuana users always use to the point of impairment if possible.

Less than 5% of people that use alcohol regularly become problem drinkers or alcoholics and even less ever go on to use other drugs. Not so with marijuana, the majority of people that use even occasionally will go on to use other more obviously addictive and harmful drugs.

The number of convicted criminals of ALL kinds that have never used marijuana is statistically insignificant while less than 1% of people that use alcohol will ever be convicted of any type of crime.