Marijuana vs. Alcohol vs. Prescription Drug

Although my opinion of Marijuana and alcohol use is very strong, and educated, my opinion simply isn't enough. So, I decided to gather some (or rather many) cold, hard facts. I have spent the last couple weeks compiling a mass of information which include reports from: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism; Roche Pharmaceutical Fact Sheet; American Counsel for Drug Education; New York Journal of Medicine; International Journal of Clinical Pharmacology and Biopharmaceuticals; American Journal of Psychiarty, and about fifty more sources.
Anyhow. I have decided to compare Marijuana, Alcohol, and Klonopin.
Klonopin, also known as Clonazepam, is a prescription drug with a wide variety of uses. It is an AED or anti-epileptic drug that is used for a wide variety of disorders, including anxiety.
At least 1% of people using this drug will experience one or all of the following side effects: clumziness, unsteadiness, dizziness, light headedness, drowsiness, and slurred speach.
As if that's not enough, there is a high risk of physical dependency. Withdrawl from Klonopin may include seizures, irritability, nervousness, sleep problems, aggitation, tremors, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and extreme anxiety. Just to name a few.
There is also a list of people who should not take this drug: people with decreased kidney function, the elderly, alcoholics, pregnant or breastfeeding women. People with respiratory issues, such as Asthma, should not use it as it may increase the production of saliva, causing respiratory distress. Meaning you may drown. It may also cause cognitive and motor skill issuese because it produces CNS (central nervous system) depression.
In an analysis done over a median 12 weeks, the rate of suicidal thoughts and behaviors increased 43% in the AED group and 24% in the placebo group. That translates to approximately 1 out of every 530 patients using the drug will become suicidal. During the controlled study, there were 4 suicides in the AED group and none in the placebo group. Trials did not exceed 24 weeks. Increased suicidal tendencies were noted as early as one week of beginning medication and persisted throughout the analysis. Age had no bearing on suicidal thoughts.
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a disease. No matter how it starts, it is a disease. Alcoholics crave their drink mentally and physically. Alcoholics develop a high tolerance to alcohol, requiring more of the subsrance to acheice the high they crave. They also lose control, sometimes to the point of black outs, violence, and alcohol poisoning.
Heavy drinking can increase the risk of certain cancers. Alcohol damages the liver, kidney's, brain, heart, and other organs. Almost 17.6 million Americans are alcoholics. And that only includes the one's we know about!
Genetics play a significant roll in alcoholism, and may account for half of the risk becoming an alcoholic. It is likely that many genes, variations in 51 chromosonial regions play a roll in alcoholism.
Long term alcohol use has severe adverse effects on the brain. It affects neurons, brain chemistry, and blood flow in the frontal lobe of the brain.
Alcohol withdrawl can be moderate~ anxiety, depression, difficulty thinking clearly, irritability, nightmares, rapid mood swings, clamy skin, headache, tremors, insomnia, sweating... to severe ~ all of the above added to aggravation, delerium with visual and audio hallucinations, seizure, and even death!
In 2009 there were over 11,000 alcohol related deaths on the roads in the United States. From 1/1/2011 to 1/31/2011 at 7:27 a.m. there have already been 900 fatalities on the road associated with alcohol.

The two previous mentioned substances are approved for consumption by the FDA. One by prescription, the other by age. Both of which have major side effects that far outweigh any benefits.

Now for the good stuff!
There is NO scientific evidence that marijuana causes psychological damage in teens or adults. A person may experience anxiety or paranoia while under the influence, which may be frightening, but are temporary. Marijuana does not cause extreme changes in behavior in 98% of users. Less than 1% of Americans use marijuana on a daily basis and even less develop a dependence for the drug. Some people who smoke heavily can stop without a problem. Others may need to seek professional help. In either case, because there is NO PHYSICAL DEPENDENCY, if a person does experience withdrawl at all, it is remarkably mild.
Although marijuana smoke contains carcinogens, marijuana users usually smoke much less than tobacco users. There have been NO reports of Lung Cancer related solely to marijuana use. According to the American Thoracic Society, there is no increased risk for lung cancer from smoking marijuana. The study also indicated that marijuana will not cause emphysema. Marijuana is NOT a gate way drug. It is simply that people using the current "Fad" drug have possibly used marijuana before. Infact, studies have shown that many marijuana users do not use tobacco or alcohol.
The only process involved is to grow, pick bud's, and let dry. Full legalization of Marijuana is the way to go. Certainly, some people will react differently to the use of Marijuana, but the vast majority will benefit.
Now I ask you this... Why should the government be allowed to take control of this, naturally growing, medicinally beneficial plant?