Let me help:
None. Most of those people died from alcohol or other drugs.
Okay, how many of these used Marijuana as a gateway drug to get those non-alcohol harder drugs...... Probably most. Don't get me wrong, 90% of people can handle MJ with no further damage. The problem are the 10% or so, who want to take the process to become high to an excessive level. Since most don't know going into it, why tempt fate?
Alcohol abuse is a social ill. Marijuana abuse is a social ill. Divorce is a social ill. I could go on and on. My concern is simply that too many people, particularly libertarians, push for liberty but seem to ignore the fact these activities deserve all the disapproval we as a society can dish out. Libertarians seem entirely focused on the liberty aspects without regard to seriously negative ramifications that result from immoral people. Libertarianism itself—if it could ever work—requires people who are generally very moral and self restrained.
So, even if I agree marijuana shouldn’t result in a police state or incarceration of citizens, I definitely think its use deserves all the scorn I can put on it. Potheads, like alcoholics, definitely don’t deserve our accolades. They are a negative influence on society and often a risk to those around them. Like I wrote, I may not want to call down the state on them, but let’s not kid ourselves. Society would be far better off if people didn’t use pot.
BTW, I don’t hold potheads in high regard for another reason. Moral people don’t break laws they disagree with. If someone is currently a pothead in a place where it’s illegal, then they deserve additional scorn. One works within the laws to change those laws one disagrees with. Those who do not do so are basically criminals. Once again, I may not want to send a SWAT team to their homes, but let’s not say it’s a great thing to ignore laws one doesn’t like (not saying catfish1957 does this—I’m simply making a point).
How many of these used alcohol as a gateway drug to those non-alcohol harder drugs...... Probably most.