^It can have the potential to completely ruin people and this should not go unrecognised. Like all drugs, there comes a few risks. I was disillusioned of Cannabis' often proclaimed harmlessness just a few months before quitting.
I have typed all of this many times now, but yes, even Cannabis abuse can ruin your life and completely change a mentally unstable person. Or over-abuse can most certainly make an otherwise mentally healthy individual into a mentally unstable hermit and magnify personal issues.
I used to laugh at the idea of being a "pot-addict" and think of those who couldn't go a day without smoking as weak-minded, or just overindulgent fuckwadds that deserved what they got. But, I was young and inexperienced back then and very, very naive.
Yes, in-comparison to other substances, Cannabis is rather benign, but, I find, if you're especially smoking from a bong and doing it all day, you will see problems arise.
I was emotionally flattened 24/7 because of how I abused weed. I'm not going to blame the inanimate substance Cannabis is, I have and will always blame myself for being so stupid, selfish and over-indulgent. But, unfortunately alot of the younger, naive kids out there are lured into this mind-set of "cannabis is completely safe", "it doesn't kill, there-fore it won't fuck you up", " you can smoke a quarter an ounce a day and still lead a functional lifestyle, "it's natural", etc... etc...
And that's where the problem lies. People need to be aware of the negatives and the positives. The whole potentials.
It's like video-games. Some people will probably laugh at this, but alot of younger adult's (and some fully grown men) lives have been completely ruined by especially MMORPG's, I'm sure the first one Everquest will come to mind.
This sort of recreational behaviour may be completely harmless to some, but to others, depending on their personality and pattern of thought, can really fuck with one's life.
I know many stoners who praise the drug, that at the same time warn others of it's psychological addictive qualities. It's not uncommon to meet someone who hasn't not smoked pot for one day in 20-30 years. And some of these people really do seem, what's the word? Burnt out.
In end, like I said before, no drug is "safe", unfortunately.