Aren't there legal medications that create similar effects to marijuana? If so, why is either side up in arms?

It seems to me people smoke weed as a means of getting through life, most of the time. Because the same people who smoke would only drink alcohol with friends, and on weekends or during special occasions. It's a social buzz. Most people smoke when they want to forget their troubles.

Aren't there completely legal alternatives to that? It could be argued that it costs too much, but I know potheads who spend upwards of $100 each month to stay supplied, and get free/discounted medication from the health department. It seems to me that there is just a selfish principle involved with weed smokers. I am not anti-weed. I actually support its legalization. But when I see people who smoke running around flaunting it, telling their friends coyly about how they got stoned the night before, it irritates me. And I feel like that line of reasoning is involved in the determination to smoke it. Like it's a social status, not a way to unwind.

Don't get me wrong, I know some people just like to smoke and relax. I have no problem with that. I have no problem with anyone smoking it. I just have a problem with the juvenile mentality of some people who do.

But on the same token, couldn't this be used as a strong argument for its legalization? Drug companies create medication with the same effects (and with worse side-effects) for people who need them, and they're perfectly legal. How can that be? There is medicinal marijuana all over, so people wouldn't have to buy it on the streets. It's a matter of its supposed negative effects. The only problem with using this as defense is that it would be countered with my reasoning above. But perhaps, with the right people listening, it could spark debate from the inside, where it matters.