Jack Campin, several NATO nations have plenty of comparatively young war veterans who would agree with your last point. One of the most powerful arguments for legalizing cannabis in Canada is its use by PTSD sufferers to help them sleep; nobody wants to sling a legless ex-soldier in jail on drug charges because he smokes a spliff at night so he doesn't have to dream about the IED blast he barely survived.

Wounded veterans are among the most effective advocates for cannabis reform because they are so obviously owed something by the so-called establishment. ("Thank you for your service!") They are often very articulate and not at all scared to say what they think -- what's the worst that can happen when you've already lost a body part and you haven't had a decent night's sleep for years? And they have plenty of pertinent experience with conventional drugs and their side effects that they're only too willing to share.