Is smoking marijuana really that bad?

There is much discussion today on approving marijuana, at least for medicinal purposes. There seems to be some logic to this because what we are doing is not working.

Our prisons are filled with persons arrested for 'possession' or sale of cannabis and many otherwise decent people have their lives ruined by choosing a recreational vehicle which, to them and arguably, is not as damaging as alcohol.

Without posing a pro or con argument I would like to present my experience as it relates to its effect in the workplace. Years ago I employed a number of workers. Some of them used alcohol for recreational purposes, which was the most common, but some also smoked "pot".

Now 'stoned' is 'stoned' but here is the difference on the affects on the user as it became apparent to me. When an employee is "under the influence" of alcohol it is readily apparent because of odor, demeanor and functional capability. This is not necessarily so with cannabis.

My company assembled control panels which consisted of steel boxes in which were installed starters, relays, timers etc. all connected with wires. The wires had to be placed concisely and connected correctly from terminal to terminal so considerable concentration and coordination by the worker was required.

One employee doing this work performed well most of the time. He was a clean cut lad, neatly dressed, well groomed, and had a pleasant smile. But he smoked 'pot', apparently heavily, and sometimes before coming to work. Then he conversed pleasantly, worked steadily and hummed happily while he wired.

When he finished wiring a panel it was beautiful. It was also all screwed up. I can't help notice how similar that was to what has been going on in Washington for some time now.

Harold A. Ritke
Morris