Penalties for the use of

illegal drugs may be set to rise in this state - at least for the use of "weed". 
There has of course also been an immediate outcry that it is a  "health" issue, not a criminal issue.
Sorry. It's both. And it is also something else. It's a "choice" issue.
Like alcohol and tobacco there is no law which says you must use marijuana. It is something people can choose to use - or not. In doing so then there is a need to consider the consequences, not just the personal consequences but the consequences for those around you. 
I have never as much as tried to smoke a cigarette but my own health has been compromised by the large amounts of secondary cigarette smoke I was forced to inhale in the staff rooms of schools, in other meeting places and enclosed spaces on  public transport. There are far fewer places where people can smoke now - and rightly so. Yes, tobacco is "legal" but it is not legal to assault other people - and putting others into the position of not being able to avoid cigarette smoke does amount to assault. 
And if you drink and then get behind the wheel of a vehicle and have an accident in which you injure someone or cause a death....well, that's a choice. It isn't something you must do. The consequences should reflect this. 
Yes, you've "heard it all before". There will be people who read this who will say that, simply because it is legal, they have a "right"  to smoke and everyone else should put up with it. There will be those who say that the legal limit for alcohol is "too low" - simply  because they believe they are still in full control when their blood alcohol readings are higher.
Our neighbour across the way has recently completed some research into the literature. I read the resultant paper on drug use and driving. He feels that the use of marijuana does not affect a person's ability to drive. I am not fully convinced by the findings. There are some issues with the way some of the research was conducted. Even if it does not affect the ability to drive there are other health and social issues associated with the use of marijuana.
That is beside the point anyway. The law says you should not be driving under the influence of illegal drugs. If you want to change that then campaign for a change in the law. 
I doubt you will win.