I can't say alcohol should be outrighted banned, mainly because it will never be. It's just not drunk responsibly in those ill committed acts. I personally drink now and then, it's a great relaxant for me. I've never been drunk driving nor in a morally questionable situation when on it. I've never been piss drunk nor wasted, I had no intent to go so far.

I know some people who live by the bottle, and it's sad to witness that as their main coping mechanism, but sometimes, people just don't have the willpower to stand on their feet, so they lie down and laugh drunk to get a breath of fresh air, and it helps to a degree.

Weed is similar in this principle, heck, it's even a medical drug in some cases. The thing I learned about either, though, is that is usually amplifies whatever current state of mind the user is in, so getting high with some pretty unresolved issues was very strange for me. It was both good and bad, meaning I had a sense of freedom but also was overwhelmed by haunting thoughts at the same time. It's just one of those issues that will stay gray between the black and white borders.