I am firmly in the camp that replacing alcohol with any other substance is simply shifting the addiction from one place to another.
With all of the legalization of pot and other cannabis related products in the US these days I think it becomes more tempting to try and justify smoking pot as an 'alternative". But last time I checked alcohol is legal too and that doesn't make it a good idea for me to drink it.
To me, addiction is all about avoiding facing up to things that are uncomfortable or making them go away with a substance. And it doesn't really matter if it's booze, pot, heroin or mushrooms - it's an avoidance maneuver. And eventually the avoidance leads to more problems.
And on an official note, it's worth reminding everyone that the promotion of ANY drug in our forums is against policy. Not suggesting that has happened in this thread - just a friendly reminder.