Marijuana Express

I was rewatching one of my favorite episodes of Vanguard, a documentary news program on Current TV. It was called Oxycontin Express and was regarding the illegal Oxycontin trade in Florida.  (If you have time, I highly suggest that yhou watch it, it won a Peabody and is some great journalism.)  It lead me to wondering about the illegal and legal drugs in the U.S.

Most people will tell you that Oxycontin, a psychotropic drug, is much more addictive than marijuana.  At the same time, it does not do a better job than marijuna at easing pain, especially when you consider the lethargy that comes as a side effect to Oxycontin.

I have talked with many adults who are against marijuna use.  One woman said that marijuna does terrible things to a developing brain.  This may be true, though I have not seen any studies to back it up (if you have, tell me in the comments).  At the same time, surely legal (for those of age, as marijuna would be if it were legal) are just as harmful.  This woman also used vicodin, one of  Oxycontin's brothers (very chemically similar) after a surgery-- is that any different than someone using marijuna after a surgery.

I guess I simply wonder, is it our simple stupidity and our resignation to believe whatever our government tells us is true the reason that we, as a nation, buy into the idea of illegalizing marijuna?  I like to think that Americans are smarter than that.