Evidence that cannabis is less dangerous than alcohol (notice I don't say better, safer, healthier, superior to, etc. I specify "less dangerous" intentionally):
From the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, a government website:
Quote:
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An estimated 88,0008 people (approximately 62,000 men and 26,000 women8) die from alcohol-related causes annually, making alcohol the third leading preventable cause of death in the United States.
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That's 88 thousand people JUST in the USA.
Perhaps a thousand people die yearly, worldwide, as a direct result of use or abuse of THC and/or the Cannabis plant.
Cannabis, in particular the chemical component THC, is used legally and medically with prescription to treat the side effects of cancer treatment. Marinol is one such prescription.
Consumable (only ethyl) alcohol has zero approved medical use, except as a base for actual medicine (such as Nyquil and other elixers).
According to the CDC (another government website), "death" isn't even on the list of health risks for use of cannabis. But there is an entire website for the government dedicated to health effects of alcohol (see above).
Whether or not someone "would" use cannabis at some point if it was made legal, would depend entirely on that person, in each person's circumstances. You might say "never ever ever! today, and be stricken with cancer next week and beg for a Marinol prescription.
In addition, you might say "never ever ever it's so bad horrible bad!" to cannabis, while sucking down your fifth martini of the day and it isn't even suppertime yet.
I wouldn't worry too much about Judgey McJudgester the Internet-Armchair Opinion-Talker.