It can create emotional dependance, however not due to any form of addiction, it's just an escape like those who eat crap loads of junk food to feel better from their depression.

also, it is indeed no more harmfull than tobacco, infact less so. tobacco is full of so many deadly things like formaldyhide, cyinide, nicotine (1 drop of strait nicotine can kill you), and countless others. The only damage weed does is from the carcinogens, created by burning it. there's non of poisons from tobacco, it's no more harmfull than picking a dandylion from your lawn and smoking it. and as mentioned above, vaporization eliminates the damage, which is why I switched to it.