HuffPo: Michael Phelps smokes a bong

[RobinFinderson]

The Huffington Post is reporting on this story original broken by London's News of the World:



I have long supported the legalization of marijuana (and any drug a person can grow in a pot on a balcony), so I am curious to see how this plays out. It will be an interesting barometer for the nation's attitude about this mostly benign 'drug.' Here in California where it is basically legal there is very little stigma associated with its use (with some religious communities making up the obvious exceptions), so I feel like I probably lack perspective on how the nation will react. In my eye this doesn't diminish the man or his accomplishment in the least.

[frank ryan]

he didn't cheat. so it does not tarnish his image from my perspective

[TripletDaddy]

Here in California where it is basically legal there is very little stigma associated with its use (with some religious communities making up the obvious exceptions), so I feel like I probably lack perspective on how the nation will react. In my eye this doesn't diminish the man or his accomplishment in the least.

What are you talking about when you say very little stigma? Are you suggesting that if a celebrity or well-known politician were caught on photo smoking a bong in California, that nobody would care? That it wouldn't be a big deal? Britney was caught not snapping her kid into a car seat properly and those pics made it all around the world.

Michael Phelps won't change the discussion on marijuana. His 15 were up after he hosted SNL and came off as a wooden, boring nerd.

[woot]

What are you talking about when you say very little stigma? Are you suggesting that if a celebrity or well-known politician were caught on photo smoking a bong in California, that nobody would care? That it wouldn't be a big deal? Britney was caught not snapping her kid into a car seat properly and those pics made it all around the world.

Michael Phelps won't change the discussion on marijuana. His 15 were up after he hosted SNL and came off as a wooden, boring nerd.

I agree to a point, but not snapping your kid into a car seat is a lot more serious than a bong hit. It's absurd that weed is still illegal in this country, and not just because it's not a dangerous substance. It's responsible for the wasting of more tax payer dollars than anything outside of "terrorists", not to mention the tax revenues available from marijuana itself if it were sold legally.

The "war on drugs" is a bigger failure than the "war on terror". At least there hasn't been another terrorist attack lately, whether the war on terror had any effect or not. Drugs are cheaper and more available now than they were before the hundreds of billions were thrown at them and the millions of non-criminals were imprisoned for their use.

[TripletDaddy]

I agree to a point, but not snapping your kid into a car seat is a lot more serious than a bong hit. It's absurd that weed is still illegal in this country, and not just because it's not a dangerous substance. It's responsible for the wasting of more tax payer dollars than anything outside of "terrorists", not to mention the tax revenues available from marijuana itself if it were sold legally.

The "war on drugs" is a bigger failure than the "war on terror". At least there hasn't been another terrorist attack lately, whether the war on terror had any effect or not. Drugs are cheaper and more available now than they were before the hundreds of billions were thrown at them and the millions of non-criminals were imprisoned for their use.

robinfinderson implied that there is very little negative stigma in California, yet he is the one that brings the article to light and posts the picture. Which is why I asked what he meant by "very little stigma." Seems like it was scandelous enough to catch his attention. It was on Drudge most of yesterday. It is in most newspapers today. There is talk of this potentially DQ'ing him from London in 2012. So obviously, there is some negative stigma out there with this behavior.

Not snapping your kid into a car seat is serious.....as of late. I can still remember riding in the back of pickup trucks on the way to the beach. Seatlbetls were a nuisance and some cars only cap with lap belts, if that, because most people didn't even use them. On the other hand, marijuana has always been negatively stigmatized in this country. The image may be getting better, but it has always been a negative association here in the States.

[woot]

robinfinderson implied that there is very little negative stigma in California, yet he is the one that brings the article to light and posts the picture. Which is why I asked what he meant by "very little stigma." Seems like it was scandelous enough to catch his attention. It was on Drudge most of yesterday. It is in most newspapers today. There is talk of this potentially DQ'ing him from London in 2012. So obviously, there is some negative stigma out there with this behavior.

Not snapping your kid into a car seat is serious.....as of late. I can still remember riding in the back of pickup trucks on the way to the beach. Seatlbetls were a nuisance and some cars only cap with lap belts, if that, because most people didn't even use them. On the other hand, marijuana has always been negatively stigmatized in this country. The image may be getting better, but it has always been a negative association here in the States.

Yeah I agree with all that. I wasn't trying to play up the importance of not using car seats properly, as the evidence suggests that car seats are actually of very little advantage over seat belts. I was mostly pointing out that marijuana is not a dangerous drug and the witch hunts that continue to go on on its behalf are without even the slightest merit.

[wuapinmon]

The Politics of Selling Drugs

I wrote this in August 2006 while living in NOLA.

Even though I voted for him, Mayor Ray Nagin's insistence that he "wants everyone to come home" has produced poor results. The city is fast returning to the crime-ridden hellhole that it was pre-Katrina. Last Sunday morning, I was awakened at 4:30AM by five pistol shots right outside of my home. I called the cops. They never came.

I wish that one, any, elect-able politician would have the scrot to tell people to stay away, to not come back. I’d advocate, strongly, that no able-bodied male should be allowed to live here for the next two years, unless he can show proof of work, or financial independence. That’ll never happen, but it’s a dream.

There are vast hordes of teenagers wandering the streets, and their parents aren't here. As these kids fight to establish territories and drug vending areas, they are killing each other and ruining the one chance this city had to make itself better. Which leads me to my next point.

IF YOU BUY DRUGS YOU ARE FINANCING THESE KILLINGS! These kids don't drive Cadillac Escalades by scamming the system. Escalades take cold hard cash. Shame on Cadillac for profiting off the sale of drugs. I remember back in the early 1990s when drug dealers were reportedly spending thousands of dollars on new shoes (sometimes a new pair every day), that one shoe store in Atlanta, or maybe L.A., put a sign up in the window that said something like, "If you sell drugs, don't buy your shoes here." Their business plummeted originally, but they made the right choice, the only ethical and moral choice to not profit off what essentially is blood money. Cadillac dealerships could easily do the same. Shame on them. The killings of five kids back in June that made national headlines and prompted the governor to (thankfully) redeploy the National Guard were remarkable in that 5 young men ages 13-17, living in public housing, were out at 3:30 in the morning driving a brand new GMC Yukon. Their mothers swore their innocence, but how does someone living in public housing buy a $45,000 vehicle?

Again, I reiterate, if you buy drugs you finance gangland activities. You finance self-described bangers. You foster hatred, death, unwed mothers, and new generations of children that see the easy money and power that come from dealing drugs. To quote Mr. Mackey, "drugs are bad, mmmmkay? drugs are bad." And that’s just in the United States. Your money ultimately finds its way to Colombia, where a 30+ year civil war is still going on. Drug monies fund the left and the right in Colombia. In some places under drug lord control, cocaine base takes the place of government issued money. The poppies of Afghanistan get injected into the arms of junkies, and some of that money gets injected into innocents in the form of car bombs; into soldiers via Taliban bullets. It’s not just a clever anti-drug campaign. The Taliban grow poppies because it makes them money to finance their war, and they think nothing of using drugs to “destroy” their enemies. Their enemies pay them for what amounts to a chemical weapon.

But the drug question isn't all that simple. I've thought long and hard about the politics of drug dealing, and I hate the situation. I think that alcohol is a pernicious evil that, while some can enjoy it in moderation, really does so much harm that I would consider myself a prohibitionist, save the fact that Prohibition was a dark time that gave rise to an organized crime wave and vast illicit wealth. Capone and others made millions (when millions were crazy money). Alcohol is the second most used psychoactive drug in the world, second only to caffeine. The government regulates and controls the production, distribution, and sales of alcohol. Organized crime cannot make any money off alcohol unless they steal it. The time has come to face facts.

As long as people keep buying drugs, keep wanting them, crime will revolve around, and get money and power from, drug profits. Untold wealth has been expended in an effort to incarcerate users and dealers, destroy production, interdict shipments, and deal with the secondary effects of a drug policy that produces powerful gangs, broken families, crime galore, and destroys communities. The time has come to make a change.

The public will never support a drastic increase in the penalty for breaking drug laws. Far too many citizens have used drugs to ever win support for heavier penalties. In spite of the best of intentions, for drugs are a dangerous evil, the right has created a system that cannot endure. I believe the definition of madness is to keep trying the same thing and to expect different results. Our current drug policy is madness.

We should legalize drugs. I know that may come as a shock coming from a devout Mormon, and it’s not a decision I’ve reached easily. Allow me to explain.

#1 When Prohibition ended, the decline of the mafia began. If you take the money out of the hands of the criminals, they lose their power. They will no longer be able to enjoy quick and easy wealth that will thumb its nose at the welfare system they so often inhabit. Faced with no easy money, surely some will turn to robbery, but robbers are eventually caught. My hope is that if the gangs don’t have the power stemming from the money that gang members will be forced to earn an honest living. I’d like to think that within 25 years the cycle of 11-17 year olds becoming gang members will slacken, if not cease. The current ones will have to be endured, but with the gangs’ attractions ended, new recruits will be difficult. Also, the end to young men standing outside all day would be hastened. This would lead to a decrease in secondary crimes.

#2 The FEDERAL government should set up a system of drug stores where people wanting to use recreational drugs could purchase them. Medical oversight would be a must. Purchases would need to be limited. Private enterprise should be limited or banned. Government oversight is a must, an absolute must.

#3 With legalized drugs, crimes committed while under the influence of drugs should have draconian punishments. Driving under the influence of drugs (including alcohol) should mean mandatory jail or seizure of the vehicle. Something harsh enough that people won’t do it.

#4 People that bemoan the bending of “what’s right” need to see that it’s a fight that they cannot win. For years I held onto the idea that we cannot fall back from evil and yield to it. I look at this as corralling it. I’d rather have people using drugs legally than support the social destruction that making them illegal causes.

#5 Billions and Billions of dollars are taken out of our economy in the trafficking of drugs. No taxes are paid on the sale of drugs. The math alone would show how taxes and money saved from not fighting “The War on Drugs” would benefit the economy, and help the trade deficit. This is said only half tongue-in-cheek. I know it seems evil to focus on this aspect, but if you think it wouldn’t factor into politicians’ decisions, you’re fooling yourself.

#6 I hate drugs and will never use them. Nor have I ever used them in the past. I still think that even with legal drugs, companies, institutions, etc. should be allowed to test employees for drug use, and still be allowed to exclude them based on drug tests.

#7 Some drugs should always be illegal. Those drugs should have punishments so severe, that no one would dare make or sell them.

#8 The government should not have to pay for people to detox, rehab, or anything like it. If you go into rehab on the government’s dime, under my new system, the government should be able to seize assets to pay for your problems. With that said, taxes made off drug sales could be used to subsidize (a small portion of) rehab costs.

#9 The drinking age should be lowered to 18. All the current law does is foster binge consumption. The age to use drugs should be 18. If people can vote, be drafted, and die for this country, they should be allowed to drink or toke. The age to rent a car should always be 25.

[TripletDaddy]

Yeah I agree with all that. I wasn't trying to play up the importance of not using car seats properly, as the evidence suggests that car seats are actually of very little advantage over seat belts. I was mostly pointing out that marijuana is not a dangerous drug and the witch hunts that continue to go on on its behalf are without even the slightest merit.

agreed.

[RobinFinderson]

What are you talking about when you say very little stigma?

Among the people that I associate with in the real world, most would accept a joint if passed around at a party, and none of them (with the exception of the handful of LDS that I still know, but seldom actually do anything with) would think any less of a person for taking a puff.

I think the legalization of marijuana in CA has gone a long way to lifting the stigma of its use. Of course most of the people I associate with are in arts-related fields where marijuana use may not have had much stigma to begin with. If CA is already a bubble, I might live inside a bubble within that bubble. But from where I stand it seems like the stigma of marijuana use has been lifting fast for the last fifteen years.

Are you suggesting that if a celebrity or well-known politician were caught on photo smoking a bong in California, that nobody would care? That it wouldn't be a big deal? Britney was caught not snapping her kid into a car seat properly and those pics made it all around the world.

We have a media that is driven by sensationalism. For the love of humanity, I have always assumed that the people who get emotionally wound up in celebrity gossip are actually relatively few, but they are more inclined to buy gossip magazines and gab loudly. So yes, this will be a 'big deal,' but there are BIG big deals and SMALL big deals. Also, from what I have been able to observe, it has always seemed that Brits get way more into our celebrity gossip than even we do.

Michael Phelps won't change the discussion on marijuana. His 15 were up after he hosted SNL and came off as a wooden, boring nerd.

Michael Phelps' wooden personality didn't diminish his celebrity in the public eye because his accomplishment had nothing to do with his personality. It would be more apt to compare him to a war hero than to a movie star. If some kid wins the medal of honor, who is going to crap on that if s/he turns out to be wooden?

More than anyone I can think of in recent memory, Michael Phelps is an American proxy. How the nation thinks of Phelps is how the nation would like to think of itself. Wooden? Perhaps. But also smart, focused, and indomitable. I hope the nation goes easy on the kid.

[Jeff Lebowski]

That's a shame. What a fool.

[Babs]

Michael Phelps won't change the discussion on marijuana. His 15 were up after he hosted SNL and came off as a wooden, boring nerd.

Perhaps he's trying to lighten up.

I doubt anyone will even shrug. Everybody knows top-tier athletes work hard and party hard. He was stupid to get photographed, though. But so long as there are young female breaststrokers disrobing for Playboy, I doubt anybody's going to be interested in Michael's antics.

[YOhio]

I hope this makes marsupial think twice about using an image of him for her avatar.

[SteelBlue]

Perhaps he's trying to lighten up.

I doubt anyone will even shrug. Everybody knows top-tier athletes work hard and party hard. He was stupid to get photographed, though. But so long as there are young female breaststrokers disrobing for Playboy, I doubt anybody's going to be interested in Michael's antics.

Competitive swimming requires some of the most monotonous training in any sport. It's a black line at the bottom of the pool 4 or 5 hours a day. When you get to Phelps' level you throw in a strict diet and all you've done for the 2 years leading up to the Olympics is swim, eat healthy and sleep. It doesn't surprise me at all that he's letting loose after all that hard work but I wish he'd been smart enough to be discrete about it. I have a 14 year old son who swims and who absolutely worships Phelps. I am not exaggerating, Phelps is his idol. Michael has made a lot of parents' job a little tougher today.

[ERCougar]

the evidence suggests that car seats are actually of very little advantage over seat belts.

Not true. Unless you're stretching the definition of "very little". I assume you're talking about booster seats, as this discussion ends as soon as you start talking about strapping infants into an adult seatbelt. And when we start talking about booster seats, I'll share with you the story of my patient who was decapitated by a shoulder strap. Or the quad whom I see regularly who broke his neck on a shoulder strap.

It'll be fun.

EDIT: Sorry for the threadjack--I realize this wasn't your main point. I think we get way too worked up about MJ too. Alcohol brings a whole lot more grief to our society than MJ does. I'd be concerned that if we legalized marijuana, we'd just open the door to a whole new world of DUI's, but I'd much rather see a driver who's high than belligerent, violent, and drunk.

[woot]

Not true. Unless you're stretching the definition of "very little". I assume you're talking about booster seats, as this discussion ends as soon as you start talking about strapping infants into an adult seatbelt. And when we start talking about booster seats, I'll share with you the story of my patient who was decapitated by a shoulder strap. Or the quad whom I see regularly who broke his neck on a shoulder strap.

It'll be fun.

EDIT: Sorry for the threadjack--I realize this wasn't your main point. I think we get way too worked up about MJ too. Alcohol brings a whole lot more grief to our society than MJ does. I'd be concerned that if we legalized marijuana, we'd just open the door to a whole new world of DUI's, but I'd much rather see a driver who's high than belligerent, violent, and drunk.

I was just going off the TED talk a few years ago in which the guy provided a bunch of data saying there was absolutely no difference, and the resulting rigmarole in which it came out that there actually is a significant (but not huge) difference between the two but only in certain types of collisions. Perhaps I'm underestimating how significant the differences were, as it's been a year or two since I looked into it. I'm sure the whole thing is still available all over the 'tubes but I'm working really hard on a lab report that's due tomorrow. Can you tell?

Either way, yes, my point was not to start a discussion about the relative efficacy of car seats, but feel free to correct me on all that if you feel like looking it up because for all I know I'm completely out to lunch.