Reefer Madness (Again)
Here we go again, the tabloid trade does what it does best, find celebrities in compromising situations and exploits them accordingly. The photo doesn’t lie, Olympic hero, all-American Boy, and lovable down-to-earth nerd, Michael Phelps was caught taking a bong hit.
Was Michael Phelps silly to do so?
Of course he was.
Is it a big deal or should this diminish his star power in any way?
Absolutely not.
Will he pay a price for this and maybe lose some very lucrative endorsements?
CERTAINLY
Will there be a lot of moralizing, hand-ringing, and pompous expressions of outrage from everybody from the moral conservatives to the so-called progressive crowd who would prohibit orange juice if its sugar content were too high?
You can bet on it.
Can anything short of the Obama daughters getting caught red-handed smoking pot in the White House ever get the conservation started to legalize marijuana and end all this insanity be realistically expected to happen in the foreseeable future?
Hell no.
Michael Phelps acknowledged that, yes, he was toking on a bong, but he carefully avoided admitting he was smoking marijuana. At very worst, he is guilty of nothing more than being 23 years old and doing what is the unofficial pastime of young people that age, PARTYING. While such behavior can lead to bad things, like driving while intoxicated and various other problems generally associated more with alcohol consumption than pot smoking, let he is without sin, cast the first stone. The Baby Boomer Generation, the shameless originators of the “ME culture,” now in late middle age will surely be seen saying stuff like, “How could this happen?” “How could this kid be so stupid?” and on and on with more nonsense, can most of them deny what they were doing in the late 60’s and through the whole 1970’s?
Most people under the age of 65 who say they have never tried marijuana (much less smoked it for some period of time) are more likely lying than telling the truth.
The correct reaction to the revelation to Michael Phelps being shown doing a bong hit should be, “SO WHAT?”
However, in a larger context, this should be one more illustration that the continued illegal status of marijuana is a joke. That making ordinary folks who enjoy the pleasure of a little buzz criminals is beyond insane. The consequences and costs to society of continued prohibition of marijuana is infinitely more harmful than any of the known harms of smoking pot pose to society. That just as the prohibition against alcohol created all kinds of unintended consequences as normal citizens desiring a drink would find their way to imbue, so does the criminalization of a funny little plant people can grow in all fifty states. The legends of Al Capone and organized crime that created slaughter fields in cities like Chicago are seen today on city street corners across the land. The problem is, in both situations, since the market is run by criminals, the criminals deal in other commodities far more harmful than bathtub gin or a nickel bag of Mary Jane.
Here we go again, the tabloid trade does what it does best, find celebrities in compromising situations and exploits them accordingly. The photo doesn’t lie, Olympic hero, all-American Boy, and lovable down-to-earth nerd, Michael Phelps was caught taking a bong hit.
Was Michael Phelps silly to do so?
Of course he was.
Is it a big deal or should this diminish his star power in any way?
Absolutely not.
Will he pay a price for this and maybe lose some very lucrative endorsements?
CERTAINLY
Will there be a lot of moralizing, hand-ringing, and pompous expressions of outrage from everybody from the moral conservatives to the so-called progressive crowd who would prohibit orange juice if its sugar content were too high?
You can bet on it.
Can anything short of the Obama daughters getting caught red-handed smoking pot in the White House ever get the conservation started to legalize marijuana and end all this insanity be realistically expected to happen in the foreseeable future?
Hell no.
Michael Phelps acknowledged that, yes, he was toking on a bong, but he carefully avoided admitting he was smoking marijuana. At very worst, he is guilty of nothing more than being 23 years old and doing what is the unofficial pastime of young people that age, PARTYING. While such behavior can lead to bad things, like driving while intoxicated and various other problems generally associated more with alcohol consumption than pot smoking, let he is without sin, cast the first stone. The Baby Boomer Generation, the shameless originators of the “ME culture,” now in late middle age will surely be seen saying stuff like, “How could this happen?” “How could this kid be so stupid?” and on and on with more nonsense, can most of them deny what they were doing in the late 60’s and through the whole 1970’s?
Most people under the age of 65 who say they have never tried marijuana (much less smoked it for some period of time) are more likely lying than telling the truth.
The correct reaction to the revelation to Michael Phelps being shown doing a bong hit should be, “SO WHAT?”
However, in a larger context, this should be one more illustration that the continued illegal status of marijuana is a joke. That making ordinary folks who enjoy the pleasure of a little buzz criminals is beyond insane. The consequences and costs to society of continued prohibition of marijuana is infinitely more harmful than any of the known harms of smoking pot pose to society. That just as the prohibition against alcohol created all kinds of unintended consequences as normal citizens desiring a drink would find their way to imbue, so does the criminalization of a funny little plant people can grow in all fifty states. The legends of Al Capone and organized crime that created slaughter fields in cities like Chicago are seen today on city street corners across the land. The problem is, in both situations, since the market is run by criminals, the criminals deal in other commodities far more harmful than bathtub gin or a nickel bag of Mary Jane.
Is smoking marajuana a good idea?
Hell no, but we condone lots of things that aren't good ideas that are far worse, and as for guilty pleasures, how much worse can a few puffs of pot be compared to a glass of wine, a big juicy steak, or driving 15 miles over the speed limit, all behaviors that go on every day that only the most self-righteous on certain pursuits would get upset over. Let's be real, a few puffs of marajuana is a lot like a glass of wine. It's relaxing, loosens up the inhibitions, and helps put all the hornet's nest of the day-to-day grind behind.
The big argument the anti-drug crowd tries to use to terrify the public about marijuana use being so deadly dangerous is that smoking pot leads to the use of harder drugs. Let’s be real. Is there anything in one substance that can lead for a craving of another substance? Are folks who enjoy a mild buzz going to want to explore what it is like to be tripping their brains out? NO-NO-NO
There are two reasons the few marijuana users go on to use more dangerous drugs. First is their reaction to the big lie. From the time they were little kids, they have been told repeatedly, marijuana is dangerous and many of the alleged harms are pure lies that by the time they are in middle school will be well aware of being false. Having heard the constant drumbeat of marijuana being so awful and seeing with their own eyes that it is not, then how bad can the things that are really dangerous LSD, heroin, crystal meth, and prescription drugs be any worse? If society lies about marijuana, how can anyone trust that the real dangers are real dangers? Second, given the market place for drugs is an illicit point-of-sale, the same fellow who can sell an ounce of pot can surely also sell a few tabs of acid, a couple grams of cocaine, or a few shots of smack. The profit margin for the dealers is higher for the more dangerous drugs. They are also easier to distribute because the product is more concentrated and harder to detect. It is much more advantageous to sell something that is easier to conceal. Besides that, it is also a benefit to sell a substance that will almost guarantee repeat customers as nobody’s going to go through horrible withdrawals for not getting the marijuana he or she desires, but cocaine and heroin are highly addictive, and for the dealer, it is mighty nice to have customers who are locked in for life. Just ask the tobacco industry. Ooops, their product is very harmful but very legal despite recent measures to protect the rest of us from the stench, irritation, and possible health consequences of their public consumption of their stinking habit.
One thing that is for certain, our society’s current approach to marijuana usage is ridiculous. A program of half-assed enforcement which generally results in a slap-on-the-wrist to most but results in unbelievably harsh incarceration for others particularly where the “three strikes” law comes into play does nothing but waste vitally needed law enforcement resources and makes the whole criminal justice system look arbitrary and ridiculous skewed especially against the less fortunate in society who don’t have the resources to work the legal system.
Legalized and taxed marijuana is the only sane answer. The cost to produce, distribute, and sell marijuana is practically nothing – think of the cost of produce at the grocery store. Surely, marijuana should cost far more than an ounce of oregano (which McCormick sells for a small fortune). Perhaps, realistically, after taxes, suppose a quarter ounce of marijuana cost about the same as a case of the national big brands of beer: Budweiser, Coors, and Miller Lite, somewhere between $15.00 and $20.00. The seller would certainly make a nice profit if their markup took the total cost of goods to around $5.00. The rest would all go to the government.
Imagine how this would redefine the concept of “getting wasted.” While the goal of the increased tax receipts resulting from the legal sale of marijuana should be to reduce the tax burden on the highly overtaxed citizens and businesses of the United States with some set-asides for health care and substance abuse treatment, give the government more money to spend, especially in today’s world, sadly this golden opportunity, a new revenue source to the Feds would be surely wasted. Look no further than Nancy Pelosi’s Democratic Party’s idea of a stimulus package, which is mostly giveaways to all the usual suspects that are the bread and butter of their party’s base.
The real benefit, knowing how irresponsible congress is with any money to spend, would be the ability to reallocate the resources currently dedicated to marijuana prohibition. The courts would be freed of unnecessary trials and prosecution of marijuana cases. Law enforcement could be redirected to illegal immigration, the war on terrorism, and other illicit trade.
Michael Phelps is just as good a fellow as he was before this seemingly embarrassing photo surfaced. His mistake was more not being aware of just how public his every move is than that as a young man in his twenties he might have puffed on a little bit of reefer.
Part of the irony of this situation is that Michael’s mom is a principal in Baltimore County Public Schools that has had an aggressive antidrug policy in effect for thirty years. Any student caught using marijuana is removed from the regular day school program, in essence expelled, for the remainder of the school year. This is the same penalty for being caught with a weapon, assaulting a fellow classmate or a teacher, and stealing or vandalizing school property. It is also the same punishment for a girl who might get caught with pepper spray in her purse for self protection, possessing a nail file or clippers (possible weapon), aspirin, Tylenol, ibuprofen, or any variety of legal over-the-counter cold medicines (some kids might take too much, be allergic, or try to pedal such medicine as something illicit). For a school system in rapid decline as Baltimore County’s schools are in many places and are struggling with their arms tied to teach any kind of values thanks to political correctness and the ACLU, where cussing out teachers generally results in the teacher being held to account for what he or she did to provoke such conduct and nothing happens to the student but an honor student gets expelled for having pepper spray since she works at night and has to cross a dangerous parking lot to get to and from her mode of transportation and place of work, what message does that send to kids who are trying to prepare for their futures? The hypocrisy and mixed signals are overwhelming. Add to that the natural tendencies for adolescent rebellion, its little wonder kids are having so much trouble with their schoolwork, and we continue to see reports of such outrageous behavior by some kids who are driven mad by the process.
The legalization of marijuana is one small but bold step toward making justice in America make more sense. It will surely help not hurt teenage kids as things are usually better dealt with when they can be brought out in the open and not kept a big secret.
Will Michael Phelps’ little boo-boo help bring this issue into sharper focus? Probably not, but we will continue to speak out on this issue as a horrible waste of society’s resources and a horrible abuse of the reach of the long arm of the law.
We love you and support you Michael! Don’t let the bastards get to you!
The big argument the anti-drug crowd tries to use to terrify the public about marijuana use being so deadly dangerous is that smoking pot leads to the use of harder drugs. Let’s be real. Is there anything in one substance that can lead for a craving of another substance? Are folks who enjoy a mild buzz going to want to explore what it is like to be tripping their brains out? NO-NO-NO
There are two reasons the few marijuana users go on to use more dangerous drugs. First is their reaction to the big lie. From the time they were little kids, they have been told repeatedly, marijuana is dangerous and many of the alleged harms are pure lies that by the time they are in middle school will be well aware of being false. Having heard the constant drumbeat of marijuana being so awful and seeing with their own eyes that it is not, then how bad can the things that are really dangerous LSD, heroin, crystal meth, and prescription drugs be any worse? If society lies about marijuana, how can anyone trust that the real dangers are real dangers? Second, given the market place for drugs is an illicit point-of-sale, the same fellow who can sell an ounce of pot can surely also sell a few tabs of acid, a couple grams of cocaine, or a few shots of smack. The profit margin for the dealers is higher for the more dangerous drugs. They are also easier to distribute because the product is more concentrated and harder to detect. It is much more advantageous to sell something that is easier to conceal. Besides that, it is also a benefit to sell a substance that will almost guarantee repeat customers as nobody’s going to go through horrible withdrawals for not getting the marijuana he or she desires, but cocaine and heroin are highly addictive, and for the dealer, it is mighty nice to have customers who are locked in for life. Just ask the tobacco industry. Ooops, their product is very harmful but very legal despite recent measures to protect the rest of us from the stench, irritation, and possible health consequences of their public consumption of their stinking habit.
One thing that is for certain, our society’s current approach to marijuana usage is ridiculous. A program of half-assed enforcement which generally results in a slap-on-the-wrist to most but results in unbelievably harsh incarceration for others particularly where the “three strikes” law comes into play does nothing but waste vitally needed law enforcement resources and makes the whole criminal justice system look arbitrary and ridiculous skewed especially against the less fortunate in society who don’t have the resources to work the legal system.
Legalized and taxed marijuana is the only sane answer. The cost to produce, distribute, and sell marijuana is practically nothing – think of the cost of produce at the grocery store. Surely, marijuana should cost far more than an ounce of oregano (which McCormick sells for a small fortune). Perhaps, realistically, after taxes, suppose a quarter ounce of marijuana cost about the same as a case of the national big brands of beer: Budweiser, Coors, and Miller Lite, somewhere between $15.00 and $20.00. The seller would certainly make a nice profit if their markup took the total cost of goods to around $5.00. The rest would all go to the government.
Imagine how this would redefine the concept of “getting wasted.” While the goal of the increased tax receipts resulting from the legal sale of marijuana should be to reduce the tax burden on the highly overtaxed citizens and businesses of the United States with some set-asides for health care and substance abuse treatment, give the government more money to spend, especially in today’s world, sadly this golden opportunity, a new revenue source to the Feds would be surely wasted. Look no further than Nancy Pelosi’s Democratic Party’s idea of a stimulus package, which is mostly giveaways to all the usual suspects that are the bread and butter of their party’s base.
The real benefit, knowing how irresponsible congress is with any money to spend, would be the ability to reallocate the resources currently dedicated to marijuana prohibition. The courts would be freed of unnecessary trials and prosecution of marijuana cases. Law enforcement could be redirected to illegal immigration, the war on terrorism, and other illicit trade.
Michael Phelps is just as good a fellow as he was before this seemingly embarrassing photo surfaced. His mistake was more not being aware of just how public his every move is than that as a young man in his twenties he might have puffed on a little bit of reefer.
Part of the irony of this situation is that Michael’s mom is a principal in Baltimore County Public Schools that has had an aggressive antidrug policy in effect for thirty years. Any student caught using marijuana is removed from the regular day school program, in essence expelled, for the remainder of the school year. This is the same penalty for being caught with a weapon, assaulting a fellow classmate or a teacher, and stealing or vandalizing school property. It is also the same punishment for a girl who might get caught with pepper spray in her purse for self protection, possessing a nail file or clippers (possible weapon), aspirin, Tylenol, ibuprofen, or any variety of legal over-the-counter cold medicines (some kids might take too much, be allergic, or try to pedal such medicine as something illicit). For a school system in rapid decline as Baltimore County’s schools are in many places and are struggling with their arms tied to teach any kind of values thanks to political correctness and the ACLU, where cussing out teachers generally results in the teacher being held to account for what he or she did to provoke such conduct and nothing happens to the student but an honor student gets expelled for having pepper spray since she works at night and has to cross a dangerous parking lot to get to and from her mode of transportation and place of work, what message does that send to kids who are trying to prepare for their futures? The hypocrisy and mixed signals are overwhelming. Add to that the natural tendencies for adolescent rebellion, its little wonder kids are having so much trouble with their schoolwork, and we continue to see reports of such outrageous behavior by some kids who are driven mad by the process.
The legalization of marijuana is one small but bold step toward making justice in America make more sense. It will surely help not hurt teenage kids as things are usually better dealt with when they can be brought out in the open and not kept a big secret.
Will Michael Phelps’ little boo-boo help bring this issue into sharper focus? Probably not, but we will continue to speak out on this issue as a horrible waste of society’s resources and a horrible abuse of the reach of the long arm of the law.
We love you and support you Michael! Don’t let the bastards get to you!
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