# NOT a typical marijuana debate **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 5, 2004, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-a-typical-marijuana-debate/232611 "2004-03-05T01:34:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![II\_Gyan\_II](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/bbe5ce/32.png) [@II\_Gyan\_II](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/II_Gyan_II)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2004, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-a-typical-marijuana-debate/232611/41 "2004-03-08T02:02:41Z")
> [@TWOTfan](#): > > The OP asked why marijuana wasn’t likely to be legalized – what thought processes were behind the people opposed to it. I gave what I think is the reason. Initially. Later on, you misinterpreted (as I see it) what Mr2001 was saying. I responded to that. ---
**Author:** ![TWOTfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9de053/32.png) [@TWOTfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWOTfan)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2004, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-a-typical-marijuana-debate/232611/42 "2004-03-08T02:19:07Z")
I don’t think I misinterpreted it. He was arguing about the validity of the reason. I see posts like this all the time here. On SSM, for example, people give reasons why people might be opposed to SSM and other people immediately jump in and begin arguing against those reasons. BUT THE QUESTION was “what do you think are the reasons?” ---
**Author:** ![II\_Gyan\_II](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/bbe5ce/32.png) [@II\_Gyan\_II](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/II_Gyan_II)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2004, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-a-typical-marijuana-debate/232611/43 "2004-03-08T02:24:30Z")
> [@TWOTfan](#): > > BUT THE QUESTION was “what do you think are the reasons?” I’m not denying this. All I said that you changed the focus of your reply to why Mr2001 was wrong (“But, the fact that someone like you … “right” to be stoned … makes me think … right to fear the legalization of marijuana.”) And I replied that you misinterpreted Mr2001 (which you claim you didn’t). ---
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2004, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-a-typical-marijuana-debate/232611/44 "2004-03-08T02:30:37Z")
I don’t think the inability to measure whether there’s THC in someone’s system is a major reason that pot is still illegal. I’m sure it’s crossed the mind of some people, but in general, I don’t think politicians and voters are really concerned with detecting people who are stoned but aren’t showing any outward signs of it. ---
**Author:** ![UselessGit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/74df32/32.png) [@UselessGit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UselessGit)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2004, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-a-typical-marijuana-debate/232611/45 "2004-03-08T18:32:21Z")
Posted by Theobroma > [@](#): > > I would also like to see all currently illegal drug use decriminalized. I would also like to see drug abuse treated as a medical condition, not a criminal problem. Alcohol abuse is already treated this way. Drug abuse by rich people is treated this way. Why not drug abuse in poorer folks? Prison is a pretty expensive treatment for addiction, isn’t it? This is such an obvious train of thought that it never ceases to amaze me that countries all over the world haven’t adopted it. I salute you, sir, and all others who share this view. Posted by TWOTfan > [@](#): > > Maybe it’s because the government is afraid a lot of the workforce would stay stoned on the job? Most people associate “stoners” with stupid, lazy slackers but that’s what those people were like _before_ starting to smoke MJ - the MJ does **not** turn you into a stupid, lazy slacker. Don’t assume that people can’t work while “high” on cannabis. I’ve seen countless examples of people who smoke quite a lot of MJ (Every day or therabouts), still do their work and do it well. Hell, just in my circle of friends there are probably 10 guys who smoke on a daily basis, work while stoned all the time and have no problems. Most of them are admittedly doing physical work (sailors, carpenters etc.) but some, like me, are doing more “brainy” work (Programmers, system managers etc) and have no problems doing so under the influence of MJ. Well… not really MJ as such, hashish is much more common here - usually imported from Marocco through Amsterdam or Copenhagen. But I digress… Personally I think cannabis will be legalized before too long, although I’m not quite sure I want it to be legalized. I’ll need more information before I can form an educated opinion and I’d rather not be spouting stuff I don’t know for a fact to help my cause, whatever that may be. What it all boils down to is Personal Freedom, and I want to believe that as long as we are not hurting anyone, we can do (pretty much) what we want to. I think this is - or will be - the general consencus around the world before too long but the USA will probably be one of the last countries to adopt this view, at least considering the lack of Personal Freedom there in this day and age. - Any and all spelling- and grammatical errors should be attributed to the fact that I’m foreign - not the fact that I use cannabis - All fallacies and general idiocy should be attributed to the fact that I am an idiot - not the fact that I use cannabis [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-a-typical-marijuana-debate/232611.md?page=2)