The times were changing, kids grew up faster these days. I guess as we evolve as human beings, we invent new problems for ourselves along the way and learn to cope with them in different ways. 

People have been drinking some form of alcohol for ages, it's still around  today but so are so many other drugs and substances. 

My dad always told me, if it grows from the ground then it's probably sound. I took that advice to heart when it came to my recreational activities. I only smoked marijuana, and I only smoked the kind that THC testing showed was of the highest quality. Sometimes I also like to eat an edible or two, the dispensary I patronize has a CBD test lab handle their quality control for their edibles so I always know exactly how much I can eat and still remain somewhat functional. It's easy to eat too much THC otherwise, I've had friends make brownies numerous times and their effects are always unpredictable when you don't know how much THC is in them. Too much and you'll feel like sleeping the day away, not to mention getting a serious case of the munchies in the meantime.

Most my friends and I prefer marijuana over alcohol or other drugs, we're called potheads and stoners but we don't care. I've seen way too many people die or develop serious problems related to alcohol and other drugs. I, of course don't ever want to feel like i'm dependent on anything or "self-medicating" as they say, but marijuana doesn't disrupt my life and seems to relax me so I don't consider it a bad thing.