Is Society Going Down the Yellow-Bricked Road to Soma?

Most of us have heard about the controversy about Proposition 19 which intends to legalize marijuana. When my mom told me about this proposition a few days ago, I developed a lot of negativity towards this proposal. Some argue that marijuana is not as bad as many other drugs and its legalization will help with the current economic situation as it will be taxed. If the drug were to be legalized I do not think that it would contribute much to tax; people who have been already breaking the law will not suddenly adhere to it now, especially when it is taxed. Besides the ever-so-flawed "helping the economy theory" I fail to see why this proposition is even being debated in the first place. If pot was to be legalized, it will become the "soma" of our society and in turn, make our world much like that of Brave New World, leading us to our downfall. Just think about it. Soma was used in a Brave New World as a hallucinogenic drug and as an excuse to escape from the realities of life, much like marijuana. If we legalized the drug, then we will be one step closer to the dreadful society of Brave New World, where people try to neglect their problems through drugs, sometimes to the point where they overdose.
Perhaps I am being too critical or conservative, but I would like to hear your opinions about this. Will it have ANY positive effects on society or will it be our soma?

Bernard Marx: the relatable "underdog"

Everyone has been posting about how the ideas in Aldous Huxley's novel, Brave New World, are so far from our own world and society. While our governments may be very different (democracy vs. totalitarian) one character seems to share many of the same qualities and insecurities with people from our society. Bernard Marx starts out as somewhat of the "underdog". He's a nobody. He's terribly average for an Alpha Plus and looked down upon by his peers. This makes him a relatable character to many of Brave New World's readers. But, when he comes back from the reservation with two savages and the prospects of making great discoveries after conducting many social experiments, the society respects and applauds him. But, as seen by the reaction when John the Savage doesn't show up for Bernard's party, the society soon dumps him back to a lower position than before. This shows the harsh reality in both their society and our society that fame is hard to come by, but easy to lose. It reminded me much of a new actor coming up in Hollywood. A great movie can boost their career and make them a star overnight, but a bad critic can send them in to a downward spiral just as fast and ruin their reputation, just as it did for Marx.