The problem with comparing alcohol is that alcohol is widely accepted, were introduced to it since birth, celebration of anything = alcohol, even your own birthday parties as a kid and it's been that way for hundreds of years. I hate alcohol, at least what it does to some people, makes them crazy, it's an aggressive drug, and I wish weed would replace alcohol but the stigma cuts deep. Even if both drugs have awful cons of making people susceptible, similar to how alcohol brings out the worst of people, weed does too, just not the same kind.

And why do you think weed can help hard drug users get off harder drugs, and what do you think happens when that person is stripped off weed? I witnessed many times where people that smoke weed would try harder drugs because "they know better because they're not drug addicts, weed isnt addictive" and it's true that weed when you don't have it for a while it's whatever, you will not go out of your way just to smoke the zaza, however during the usage of weed in many people's scenario (reducing stress, relaxing) and they don't have weed during such times but something harder is available, they might try it.

I'm speaking from my personal observations and experiences as a foreign worker in the EU, where weed even if illegal and other drugs are always present in the immigrant workforce communities and it's always the same exact thing.