I smoked weed a few times about 18 years ago. The effects of THC are way more severe than the buzz alcohol gives you. One beer will have much less intoxicating results than one joint will. Today's marijuana is also much more potent than what we had 20 years ago. Those are good enough reasons for me to support keeping it illegal.
Well, how much you consume will determine how fucked up you get, with any substance. Most of the people I've known who kick back drinking don't stop at one beer, they have a full 6-pack or two. So, 1 beer isn't a good baseline there, IMHO.
In any case, you brought up a fundamental question in your response: the degree of intoxication. As long as someone isn't going out driving, why should you, I, or anyone for that matter care how blotto someone gets? Does it really matter if someone just gets a buzz on or goes to the point they pass out? And either way, does it matter if someone drinks themselves into unconsciousness or smokes themselves there? How are you impacted if they choose smoking over drinking?
Now, please understand, no one's trying to tell you that YOU should use it, that is your choice. You don't like the effects on you, by all means, don't smoke. You want to stop at a light buzz as compared to passing out, that is absolutely your personal choice. Personally, alcohol has far greater negative effects on me than smoking does, actually. If I drink enough to get an alcohol buzz on, I end up with an upset stomach and feeling like crap afterward. The same is not true with marijuana. (not to mention alcohol has a ton of calories and pot has none, etc.)
So again, keeping the fundamental belief I know you have of the government staying out of your private life, why should the government, you, or anyone else care whether someone smokes themselves into a buzz or drinks themselves there, as long as they don't do something no one supports, like going driving, etc? (and even then, CHP studies in the 80s showed alcohol caused far greater driving impairment than pot did, though driving under the influence of anything is incredibly stupid)
-Arlos