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The thing about that is you can phrase nearly anything in terms of freedom. Illegal cannabis = freedom to live in a place where your children aren't exposed to

The thing about that is you can phrase nearly anything in terms of freedom. Illegal cannabis = freedom to live in a place where your children aren't exposed to drugs. I don't agree, but for me the notion of freedom isn't very helpful.

whiddershins 12y ago
This is why the concept of defining rights exists. I don't think the right to not be annoyed by your neighbor is one of the ones everyone agrees on.
joshontheweb 12y ago
For better or worse illegal cannabis doesn't mean your kid won't be exposed. It means that when your kid is exposed and perhaps tries it, He/she has a good chance of developing a criminal record, going to jail, dropping out of high school, etc. All consequences that are much worse than the drug itself. If you even believe that it is detrimental to smoke cannabis.
- JoeAltmaier 12y ago
  Hm. I never got exposed; it was illegal and use was hidden. Its a stretch to draw that straw-man life of crime. Why would this imaginary kid fare differently if it were legal? The exposure becomes pretty much guaranteed, instead of problematical.
  - godzilla82 12y ago
    >The exposure becomes pretty much guaranteed And only after your guaranteed exposure will you wonder - What was that fuss all about?
    - JoeAltmaier 12y ago
      Hey it wasn't my strawman - exposure is supposed to lead to a life of crime etc. So there's a contradiction in that assumption vs legalizing, right?
SilasX 12y ago
It would be more accurate and productive to characterize such a view as "freedom is one of many things to value". "My kids not using weed" is another thing to value (and not unreasonably), orthogonal to freedom. It's fine to characterize that as something to value, but not as a variant of freedom. "Satisfying intimacy with my S/O" is also something to value, but also not a species of freedom, and likewise unhelpful to frame as "freedoms from lack of intimacy".
dalek_cannes 12y ago
> Illegal cannabis = freedom to live in a place where your children aren't exposed to drugs You're abusing the term "freedom". Freedom is the right to act, not immunity from the effects of others' actions.
- millstone 12y ago
  Others' actions can limit your freedom. When I am forced to do something, I am made less free. Being forced to inhale secondhand cigarette smoke is an example.
- aninhumer 12y ago
  >Freedom is the right to act, not immunity from the effects of others' actions. What about the freedom to keep slaves? The slaves are "free" to run away, they're just not "immune" from the actions of the slave keeper if they get caught. This is why the term freedom is almost useless. People inevitably mean "the set of freedoms I care about", which will always come at the expense of other freedoms.
  - deleted 12y ago
    [deleted]
slowmotiony 12y ago
It has been illegal for so long now, and kids are still exposed to it, now even more than ever. I have no idea how people still think that prohibition makes drugs go away.
CalRobert 12y ago
That might make sense for things like "Freedom to a smoke free school", which should be just as true for cannabis as tobacco, but when somebody can't use cannabis in their own home it's hard to frame it like this.

whiddershins 12y ago

This is why the concept of defining rights exists. I don't think the right to not be annoyed by your neighbor is one of the ones everyone agrees on.

joshontheweb 12y ago

For better or worse illegal cannabis doesn't mean your kid won't be exposed. It means that when your kid is exposed and perhaps tries it, He/she has a good chance of developing a criminal record, going to jail, dropping out of high school, etc. All consequences that are much worse than the drug itself. If you even believe that it is detrimental to smoke cannabis.

JoeAltmaier 12y ago
Hm. I never got exposed; it was illegal and use was hidden. Its a stretch to draw that straw-man life of crime. Why would this imaginary kid fare differently if it were legal? The exposure becomes pretty much guaranteed, instead of problematical.
- godzilla82 12y ago
  >The exposure becomes pretty much guaranteed And only after your guaranteed exposure will you wonder - What was that fuss all about?
  - JoeAltmaier 12y ago
    Hey it wasn't my strawman - exposure is supposed to lead to a life of crime etc. So there's a contradiction in that assumption vs legalizing, right?

SilasX 12y ago

It would be more accurate and productive to characterize such a view as "freedom is one of many things to value". "My kids not using weed" is another thing to value (and not unreasonably), orthogonal to freedom. It's fine to characterize that as something to value, but not as a variant of freedom. "Satisfying intimacy with my S/O" is also something to value, but also not a species of freedom, and likewise unhelpful to frame as "freedoms from lack of intimacy".

dalek_cannes 12y ago

> Illegal cannabis = freedom to live in a place where your children aren't exposed to drugs You're abusing the term "freedom". Freedom is the right to act, not immunity from the effects of others' actions.

millstone 12y ago
Others' actions can limit your freedom. When I am forced to do something, I am made less free. Being forced to inhale secondhand cigarette smoke is an example.
aninhumer 12y ago
>Freedom is the right to act, not immunity from the effects of others' actions. What about the freedom to keep slaves? The slaves are "free" to run away, they're just not "immune" from the actions of the slave keeper if they get caught. This is why the term freedom is almost useless. People inevitably mean "the set of freedoms I care about", which will always come at the expense of other freedoms.
- deleted 12y ago
  [deleted]

slowmotiony 12y ago

It has been illegal for so long now, and kids are still exposed to it, now even more than ever. I have no idea how people still think that prohibition makes drugs go away.

CalRobert 12y ago

That might make sense for things like "Freedom to a smoke free school", which should be just as true for cannabis as tobacco, but when somebody can't use cannabis in their own home it's hard to frame it like this.