from experience, it makes it a LOT easier

I was visiting my parents the other night for dinner and I broke it down for them: they were making meatloaf and I asked if instead of the New Seasons (or whatever your local Whole Foods store is in your neck of the woods is) if someone outside the store was selling meatloaf for slightly less, just out of a cooler, for less, would they buy that instead. The answer is of course "no." Same goes with weed: I quit smoking for a while because my ex had what I can only assume was a reaction to PCP, which very well could've been the case: even if you know your dealer, you're taking the same risk of leaving your drink at the bar hoping someone doesn't roofie it while you're in the bathroom. I've been in a few arguments with some of my trapper friends that legalization's going to destroy their business, but a steady income as a budtender sounds a lot more lucrative and safe than waiting around for a call. Right now the only way to get one of those jobs in Oregon is with a medical marijuana card, which doesn't make you an expert on strains any more than an OLCC (Oregon Liquor Control Commission) card makes you a mixologist.

As far as curbing smoking goes, yeah there's no scientific evidence, but I make little cocopuffs (with weed, not cocaine, and ONLY when I'm visiting the great state of Washington for another month or so hopefully) and I do smoke cigarettes a lot less, maybe a half a pack a day vs. my old 1.5 packs a day, mostly used as an excuse to get the fuck out of work for 5 minutes. The common misconception is that the world's going to turn into a Cheech and Chong/Half Baked scenario and that's not true. Hell, it's legal for me to buy a grip of Jack Daniels and drink the whole thing right now. Would I do it? Well, if I had nothing else to do, maybe, but probably not. Anyway I'm pretty high right now.

Dude, it's like midday on a tuesday and you're high? Even I wait till after the kids are in bed.

Was joke. :) Honestly I rarely smoke before work, but I also work weird hours. That being said, I'm drunk as fuck. Like Mad Men drunk as fuck son! I ain't never even seen that shit! #nocable

as if the cheech & chong scenario would be worse than the world's current situation.

Instead we should feel rewarded for working 8 hours a day so we can buy more shit and abuse the environment more?

http://www.mmyvofficial.org/

I'm happy with the slow and methodical progress of legalization in the states now, but I agree with James Woods here. I myself have tried on and off to manipulate my mood and lifestyle in a positive way with weed. In an attempt to ditch alcohol as a recreational activity, control and alleviate anxiety and depression, even give myself an interesting hobby complete with its own community and expensive gear to get excited about, all I've found is that weed kept me from doing what I should have been doing, which was learning positive and healthy coping techniques for my anxiety. True, marijuana use in general is far less damaging to your health and is infinitely less addictive than alcohol, but it still should be viewed at best as a necessary evil when dealing with the (unrealistic) list of ailments it is claimed to help with.

Until my previous relationship, I was solidly in the "weed isn't that bad and is not addictive" camp. She smoked every day, it was most definitely a self-medication thing. If she'd go a week without it, she would have a total fucking meltdown. She would smoke so much weed that she would sit on craigslist looking at animals for hours, like 5-6 hours sometimes. Then she'd get angry because she wasn't doing anything with her life working dead end jobs.
She had a lot of mental problems, but smoking all that weed was just kicking the can. Better than alcohol, better than pill addiction, but it's still a crutch with actual withdrawal symptoms.

Cube, no, that is also unproductive self medication. One should strive for feeling whole without the need for any outward stimulus.