When I was drug naive I thought all drugs are bad. There wasn't a distinction b/w hard and soft. I saw weed as a drug junkies do.
Below are 3 categories of drug groups - 1. soft 2. soft on body/otherwise hard 4. hard
(also another category 4. hard on body/soft in addiction)
1. Weed IMO is the only drug I would today categorize as SOFT. It doesn't take a great toll on the body and people who do it don't show abusive behaviors. There also isn't much stigma attached to it's use. It's more like tons of humor is attached to its use.
2. Heroin I see as having a hard and soft side. It's soft on the body. Withdrawals aren't fatal or life threatening in 99.9% of the users. It causes no damage physically to the body. It's hard cuz it's very addictive, people who use it often show addictive behaviors. There is also tons of stigma attached to its use.
3. I see benzos as hard drugs cuz they are bad for you long term and in a way doctors prescribe them. The withdrawals can be life threatening. They are very addictive even after relatively short term use.
3. Crack/Coke/Meth - nothing good I can say about these. Hard drugs IMO.
3. Inhalants - hard
3. Tobacco, alcohol - althought addictive behaviors aren't as intense as with heroin, crack and other addictive substances
4. hallucinogens like PCP, LSD, shrooms, MDMA, RC's - most are not addictive but can be neurotoxic, some are better than others, these can cause long term brain damage in a way that heroin, morphine (other opiates), weed never will.