Michael Phelps Should Be Free To Smoke Marijuana If He Wants To

[Jim Finnel]

In a perfect world, Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps would respond to the publication in the News of the World of a photo of him smoking from a bong with a loud call for drug legalization. Can you see the quote: "Hey, if I can win 14 gold medals while smoking grass, how bad can it be?"

I know that's unrealistic. Sure, there are some athletes, like former NFL lineman Mark Stepnoski, who have made a name for themselves as advocates of legalization. But Stepnoski was a pro who, presumably, banked his paydays and can now thumb his nose at the drug warriors. Phelps is enjoying his paydays now through endorsement contracts with a host of companies that are potentially skittish about being associated with marijuana in even the most minor way. For Phelps to take on a controversial cause now would be to trade away his earnings.

But what a spokesman Michael Phelps would make. A top-notch athlete who dominates his chosen sport -- clearly suffering few, if any, ill effects from the recreational use of an intoxicant that just happens to be out of favor with the current gang of powers-that-be. He would be a powerful example that moderate use of marijuana and other for-the-moment illegal intoxicants can be harmless -- and even beneficial.

Maybe Phelps could testify to marijuana's power to lower tension, reduce stress and really help him achieve his goals.

Of course, in a truly ideal world, Phelps wouldn't have to worry about sponsorships. That photo in News of the World would have had big marijuana companies clamoring for his endorsement.


News Hawk: User: 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: Civil Liberties Examiner
Author: J.D. Tuccille
Copyright: 2009 Civil Liberties Examiner
Contact: Contact Us
Website: Civil Liberties Examiner: Michael Phelps should be free to smoke marijuana if he wants to

 

[Nigtmove]

I say if ANYONE drops Phelps as an endorser because he smoked pot we boycott their products. We should flex a muscle and the muscle attached to the wallet hurts most for these people. (And what better time to do it? In a time of financial "make it or die" the scales can tip with nothing more than a breath.) Who's with me!?!
If we could muster this level of oneness we can make things happen. If nothing else we can get the media attention. We need nonviolent news time.
If the "far right" can do it to make us do what they want why can't we do it right back?

 

[Jim Finnel]

imo

if phelps takes a pro-mj stance we should back him
if he takes the wimpy way out and sticks with his appology and saying smoking was a mistake then he's on his own

just my opinion and not the sites

 

[Fumado]

Well, he already apologized. When I first read it, I couldn't believe how it was worded. "...I acted in a youthful and inappropriate way..."

The guy won all those gold medals, doesn't he have the right to have some fun?

Gene Weingarten in the Washington Post said it very well:

Why did Michael Phelps take a hit?

 

[Ms.Fox]

From what I read in the other 420 article, a girl said he looked so natural with the bong. That leads me to believe this is probably not his first rodeo with mj. Even though he's apologized for "getting caught", he still obviously approves of it's use. Not much he can do about that, now, no matter how many time's he apologizes. It would be cool if he manned up and supported mj use, but I highly doubt he will.

 

[FastLan3]

I say if ANYONE drops Phelps as an endorser because he smoked pot we boycott their products. We should flex a muscle and the muscle attached to the wallet hurts most for these people. (And what better time to do it? In a time of financial "make it or die" the scales can tip with nothing more than a breath.) Who's with me!?!
If we could muster this level of oneness we can make things happen. If nothing else we can get the media attention. We need nonviolent news time.
If the "far right" can do it to make us do what they want why can't we do it right back?

THATS WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT!!!!!!

Lets stay on top of this! What are his sponsors though? LOL, maybe I am too excited, lets see if he has any sponsors we plant lovers can even boycott.

Phelps's Sponsors - Speedo, Omega, AT&T, Powerbar, Visa, Argent Mortgage!!!!

So, start talking mad shit about these companies and products!!!! hmmm...at least a few of them like Powerbar and ahhh...Well we can try at least.

I am still boycotting HERSHEY for suing that dude who made awesome pot-products that looked like Hershey products....

 

[stonedrock]

PFFFFFFFFT. A little weed, oh how societies have there heads up there ass.

 

[Ultrabudda]

Money makes the world go around! A good guy like that needs to spark up in the V.I.P room our at home.

 

[BigPhil]

And if anyone is interested in boycotting the General Mills Products - the sponsor that just pulled their support for Michael - their products include the following:


Baking
Betty Crocker, Bisquick, Gold Medal, Pillsbury,
Organic
Cascadian Farm, Muir Glen

Breads
Forno de Minas, Pillsbury
Pasta
Frescarini, Latina

Cereals
Cascadian Farm, Cheerios, Chex, Trix, Wheaties,
Pizza/Rolls
Totino’s/Jeno’s

Fruit Snacks
Fruit by the Foot, Fruit Gushers, Fruit Roll-Ups, Fruit Shapes
Soup
Muir Glen, Progresso

Grain Snacks
Bugles, Chex, Gardetto’s, Nature Valley,
Vegetables
Cascadian Farm, Green Giant, Muir Glen

Ice Cream
Haagen-Dazs
Yogurt
Yoplait/Colombo

Meals
Betty Crocker, Hamburger Helper, Green Giant, Old El Paso

among others....


Good Luck!

Phil

 

[merickson]

I'm of two minds about this.
1) Weed is no big deal, Phelps should be able to smoke it when he wants to.

2) Phelps took money to represent these companies. In this society, not in society as it should be, but the one we have. If he wants to smoke herb, more power to him, but he should be able to see society for what it is and realize that having his smoking become public is bad PR for his clients.
It's reasonable that airlines require their pilots to not smoke herb on duty, and fire those that do.
It's reasonable for a company to conclude that (in our current society) a pot smoker is not a good representative and to not hire/fire representatives who smoke.

If he wants to smoke herb, he should get a job where it doesn't effect his job performance. Yes, it shouldn't matter to the general public whether he does on not. But the job is to appeal to everyone, not just that part of the public that thinks rationally.

 

[Fumado]

And if anyone is interested in boycotting the General Mills Products - the sponsor that just pulled their support for Michael -

I believe it was Kellogg's that dropped Phelps (Pop Tarts and the like). Just want to make sure you boycott the right company.

The thing is, they didn't have to do anything if he wasn't in any current advertising promotions. They could have waited until the whole thing blew over.

I also wonder about the person who took and sold the picture. What kind of person would go out of their way to cause someone else grief?

 

[merickson]

Instead of boycotting Kellogs for treating the public opinion of Herb for what it seems to be, we could specificly buy from those companies who kept Phelps.

It seems unfair/ungratious to penalize Kellogg's for reacting to a reality (the public perception that "ganja is bad") that they didn't create.

Is there a list of the 420 supportive sponsors of Phelps that didn't pull his contract?
Use the carrot, not the stick.

 

[Nigtmove]

merickson, at the risk of being ungracious Kellogg's is not reacting to a reality. Kellogg's had big, big meetings on how to handle this situation. Eventually the decision was made that the "pot heads" would be less of a financial powerhouse than the conservatives, I say let's send them a one word answer in cap's... MISCALCULATION!

Besides, the odds of us taking this company to the ground are pretty remote.
Basically this is what hopefully will happen. There will be an uprising of those damn pot heads, enough that it actually affects Kellogg's bottom line. Let me ask you, do you really think that Kellogg's would let the ship go down behind this topic? I don't think so either, they will at some point need to stop the bleeding by releasing a statement. A statement of ANY sort from Kellogg's on THIS subject is like letting the blue smoke fly signaling that yes the pot heads are a force to be recognized. At this moment we go from being a bunch of pot heads to being a moving force.
Hopefully this will get enough news time that the white House has to take notice and release a statement of their own. MAJOR SCORE in the chess game that is this thing of ours.

Response?

 

[Nigtmove]

Ps. You say the reality is that the public perception of ganja is bad.

I say we have fourteen states that have a mostly positive perception of ganja and add to that all the people that have not been able to voice their opinion publicly yet and I would say a good percentage of the public feel pretty good about pot, Kellogg's NEEDS to know the TRUE opinion of a large part of their customers.

 

[Nigtmove]

It looks like Subway has decided to go ahead and keep Phelps, I say good idea.

This is where you come in merickson! SHOW TIME!!

I see a sub sandwich in your future!

 

[merickson]

Rock On, Jared!!

Subway makes a fine Hot Pastrami, 3 blocks from where I work.
Meet you there Wed, noonish??

(Memo to self: make flyer explaining that eating these sandwiches is a political act as well as nutrition.)

 

[Nigtmove]

LOL, SEE! The right tool for the right job!

 

[FastLan3]

If we weren't talking about multi-billion dollar companies but, we are, and I simply do not agree with super-large companies.

Otherwise, I also put blame on Phelps for not manning up, standing up against his sponsors.

I wish he made a real statement of the truth, although it probably is unlikely he understands or has done any research on the plant, so he doesn't even appreciate the herb himself.

 

[Paladin]

You can bet that there was pressure being exerted on Mr. Phelps to "apoligize" for his actions by those in government. That is the the way it works , do as we say or face serious consequences . This is the nature of government . To think anything different is to be unexcueably naieve .