Marijuana Blues: If All Americans Had Phelps' Press Experience, The Drug War Would Be Over

Let's try a thought experiment. Imagine that there was a substance that on one given day caused the faces of anyone who had ever smoked marijuana to turn blue for a few hours. At least 40% of Americans over 12 would have a blue face that day (that's the proportion willing to admit it anonymously to government interviewers, the real proportion may well be higher).

Maybe, just maybe, we'd realize how stupid the war on drugs is.

Imagine how the economy would grind to (even more of!) a halt if we tried to arrest and incarcerate all of these people. Imagine the chaos if we just tried to fire all of them from their jobs and suspend the students from school.

Of course, such a chemical doesn't and can't exist. But if every person who ever smoked marijuana simply spoke out honestly about their experience one day, we'd have a much more sane discussion of drug policy. The truth about the effects of this drug--that it is less damaging to health than alcohol and tobacco--would become as evident as those hypothetical (and many hypocritical) blue faces.

And the truth about who marijuana smokers are--your grandfather, your dentist, your accountant, your senators and Presidents and yes, even some of your Olympic athletes--would be revealed. Not just scary outsiders or hairy hippies--but millions every day Americans from all walks of life.

Once that occurred and we saw that the enemy in the war on drugs is ourselves, perhaps we'd discover that we have more important battles to fight.

But that can't happen if we continue to demand ritual hypocrisy from people like Michael Phelps who are forcibly "outed." We'll just go on talking past each other till we're blue in the face...

Comments

[NorCalNative]

Maia there is much truth in your statement. Congress will not perform their duty to change cannabis from a schedule I drug to a schedule II drug allowed for medical use because of this law: TITLE VII OFFICE OF NATIONAL DRUG CONTROL POLICY REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 1998: H112255 under #12 Responsibilities of the Director, i.e., the Drug Czar, A) and B).

Our so-called Drug Czar IS REQUIRED BY LAW TO LIE ABOUT CANNABIS AND ITS BENEFITS.

It doesn't get any simpler than that. If anyone's wondering how they get away with it, it's because they make it against the law to tell the scientific truth about the herb.

Unclear on how the history got so messed up in the first place? Google or wiki this name. HARRY J. ANSLINGER. Anslinger is a perfect example of how screwed up American government becomes when we allow cultural moralism to rule our system of law.

Cannabis is first a recreational drug that happens to have medicinal properties. It doesn't make sense to make patients be on the front line of this war. But, that's what happens to logic when you allow propaganda to form public policy.

Call your Congressional representatives and demand an answer for why we have a law requiring the Drug Czar to lie! Seems like as good of place to start as any. And, iI'll end with the words of House Speaker Pelosi, last August on CNN, "the public has to make us do this."

[hgovernick]

QUOTE: Imagine how the economy would grind to (even more of!) a halt if we tried to arrest and incarcerate all of these people. END QUOTE

Imagine how the economy would blossom overnight if marijuana were legalized. The competition with tobacco companies would be astounding. Sales of 20-cigarette-sized packs of marijuana cigarettes at $30 each (half of which would be tax) would inject billions of dollars into our depleted treasury in no time at all.

Another positive benefit of legalization of marijuana would be to strike a near-death blow to the drug lords, who are now invading our own states with a crime wave aimed at a concentrated effort to maintain an iron-fisted control over their profits.

It's time, U.S.A. I'd bet my life there are more violent actions caused by users of alcohol than marijuana.

[Octoberluna]

I laffed and laffed when Ross Rebagliati got nailed for pot in his system by the Japanese after having won his gold medal and now I see that they were right it IS performance enhancing! LOL I wondered where I got all these trophies!

[ConnieInCleveland]

Great post. Gave me a chuckle :) You are so right, many can't (or are afraid) to speak in favor of cannabis/hemp. I hope for the change Americans voted for. Honesty would be a good place to start. Blue faces would blow them out of the water. lol

Jack Herer posted this at current.com. I was amazed when I saw he got it from huffingtonpost.com. Kudos to Huffington Post.

[wetdentist]

ConnieInCleveland you are so right to say the author of this article is so right. I have to use a name like wetdentist (my band name, of which i play in anonymously) in order to speak out about marijuana. I would never use my real name, or allow Facebook to get a hold of my attitudes, because my life would be forever RUINED. Mr. Phelps is lucky, but from what I hear, he was quite adept at that bong.

[janinei]

Hi, my name is Janinei, and I was once a sto ner!

[WorkingClass]

The war on drugs and the war on terror are essential elements in the greater war on freedom and prosperity. WHEN I SAY PEE - YOU PEE!

[verbenco]

a quick look at the comments leads me to believe most have a sensible attitude re: marijuana. so why are archaic laws still on the books? why don't libertarians stand up for this individual right. why do liberals let these laws stand when they (pot laws) clearly discriminate. why do we not learn any lessons from prohibition? why do we waste tax payer money putting pot smokers in jail? these things are a mystery to me.

[fumes]

breaking news!

michael phelps takes a stand

and advocates for legalization!!

http://decentcommunity.org/2009/02/03/michael-phelps-to-endorse-legalization-of-marijuana/

woohoo

[fumes]

sorry

not true!

sigh..

[Jane Hayes]

I've long said that if everyone who participated in this illegal activity would take one step forward (metaphorically speaking, of course) it would be clear that the laws that are in place in our country should disinigrate before our eyes. It's so senseless to continue a war that can't be won (I mean another one - this one started 25+ years ago). The "war on drugs" has also been a war on our citizens. I read posts all the time citing statistics about how many people are in jail/prison who only have marijuana charges...

In a perfect world, Phelps would have used his notariety to be a spokesperson for marijuana law reform, but he's afraid. I don't blame him for being afraid - he needs other people to stand up with him. While I don't think he deserves to lose even a single endorsement, I also don't hold him responsible for being the celebrity to single handedly reform stupid, stupid laws that hurt our nation overall more than they help us.

[mydogshakespeare]

"A war on our citizens." Yes, and mostly our minority citizens, not the "white" ones of European descent.

[Danny Danko]

Leave Michael Phelps Alone!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omsDZz41Ks4

[hungry100]

...don't it make my beige face blue...

[pcplz]

And mine tooo ooo!

[fishgirl26]

I also believe that pharmacutical companies would hate legalizing it because it would take care of alot of ailments that they can charge lots of money to cure.

[fishgirl26]

I appreciate the article. In my city they have relaxed marijuana laws but cops still bust people all the time. The side effects of pot ....happy, sleepy, hungry. The side effects of alcohol...­drunken, stupid, liver problems. If the US was smart they would legalize and tax it!! Instead we have a war on it. In my town I would say 70% of people would have to skip work on a "stoner free day". Meth and other hard drugs, sure, lock people up but pot??? naw. let the stoners be!

[jhNY]

The Prison Industry needs clients. The Police State needs a class of perps whose numbers are legion, so that the funding for the Police State never dries up. Good luck facing these forces down!

[Danny Danko]

Leave Michael Phelps Alone!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omsDZz41Ks4

[Ellis Weiner - Huffpost Blogger]

Nice post. For a more emphatic version of the same, do not miss this:

http://www.theagitator.com/2009/02/01/a-letter-id-like-to-see-but-wont/

[fumes]

your ship has come in ~

http://decentcommunity.org/2009/02/03/michael-phelps-to-endorse-legalization-of-marijuana/

[fumes]

sorry ellis

false alarm

sigh