It's really not. It causes a lot less damage than repeated use of those afternoon cocktails/ shots of Makers/ all the other stuff that's legal. And it's just not physiologically addicting, in that you don't go through physical withdrawal symptoms (DT's, psychosis, sweats, diarrhea, etc.) like you do when suddenly cut off from alcohol and other drugs (if you're physiologically dependent.)
For people who feel the need to hide from the real world, but shouldn't, it's not a smart thing to do. But neither is ETOH (alcohol.) For the vast majority of people, pot is certainly less bad on the body and the brain than booze.
--This from someone who dares not venture onto the highway for my morning commute without a significant shot of caffeine in the bloodstream. And I definitely enjoy my Maker's and whatnot at the end of a long-ass day, but my lungs don't let me do pot, which is fine with me, because I don't fell the need.
A note: the Veterans Administration accepts the use of medical marijuana in its patients (it must be prescribed elsewhere; the VA doesn't prescribe it), and it doesn't classify medical marijuana users as "drug abusers", or keep them from participating in long-term pain control programs. (Veterans often have significant chronic pain issues resulting from their service, including gunshot wounds, joint injuries from paratrooper services, and so forth. If they have drug abuse problems, they're not allowed to participate.) The VA does not discriminate against marijuana users, because guess what, there is no convincing medical evidence that marijuana is a significant negative health factor.
The prevailing cultural attitudes about pot are pretty much just that, prevailing attitudes. Attitudes can and do often change, once people learn a little more about what's involved.
i've been around drunks, and I've been around potheads, and between the two, I'd rather be around potheads. Overall, I'd rather be around non-users, but then I'd have to give up my Maker's and couldn't be around myself, so maybe never mind.