Bong Hits for Phelps: No Apology Needed

Plastered all over the world today is a photo of Michael Phelps smoking marijuana out of a bong. Mr. Phelps put out a statement saying that he acted in a youthful and inappropriate way and that he promises it won't happen again. Different people are weighing in on the possible impact of this photo on the gold medalist's 100-million-dollar endorsement deals.

Here are a few of my observations on Phelps' bong hits.

Phelps is in good company:

Phelps struck another blow to the myth that marijuana smokers are lazy couch potatoes. Here is the guy who has won more gold medals than anyone in history, and obviously his health and accomplishments are not hindered by smoking some pot. In addition to his swimming skills, he is a successful businessman who has turned his swimming skills into an enormous public relations platform and money generator. Successful and honorable people who have smoked some pot are all around us, from President Obama to Mayor Bloomberg.

Phelps apology was unnecessary:

While Phelps' statement said he acted in a youthful and inappropriate way, he did not pretend to have a drug problem and promise to go to rehab. So many times when celebrities are caught with drugs they give tearful statements and promise to get help. Phelps doesn't appear to have a drug problem and there is no reason for him to take up valuable treatment slots if he doesn't have a drug problem.

Does it Hurt or help his image?

While some "experts" are predicting that Phelps bong hits could cost him millions, I could also see it humanizing him and making him even more popular with a large section of the public. Phelps' swimming accomplishments have always been awe-inspiring, but who could relate to the guy who swam eight hours a day and had to eat 23 hamburgers every day to compensate for the calories he burns off in training? Seeing him with his hat on backwards taking a hit made me feel like I could relate to the guy more. With half of high-school seniors having tried marijuana before they graduate, it is not clear that this photo is going to disillusion his fan base.

Pot use doesn't discriminate, but our pot laws do:

While there has been some progress on acceptance for people who use marijuana, there are still many laws on the books that cause more harm than the smoking of marijuana. Close to 800,000 people were arrested for marijuana last year and the vast majority for only possessing small amounts. Harry Levine and Deborah Small put out a report last year that found that between 1998 and 2007 New York City police arrested 374,900 people for low-level, misdemeanor marijuana offenses. That is more than eight times the number of arrests on the same charges for the previous ten-year period between 1988 and 1997, when 45,300 people were picked up for having small amounts of marijuana.

Researchers also found stark racial disparities in who NYPD officers chose to arrest for marijuana offenses. The report found that 83 percent of those charged in these cases were black or Latino, despite equal marijuana use between whites and non-whites. The discrepancy, the researchers asserted, is because NYPD officers stopped and frisked blacks and Latinos at a dramatically higher rate.

Once someone is convicted of a drug offense, they can lose college financial aid, food stamps, public housing and, in some cases, even voting rights. Money wasted and lives ruined ... and for what?

Phelps Can Continue to be a Role Model:

I like Phelps and don't think his bong hit should hurt him. If he truly wants to be a role model he can take his comments and platform to the next level. He can say simply, "Yes, that was me smoking marijuana, and the laws that ruin peoples' lives for using marijuana should be debated and changed."

Tony Newman is the director of media relations at the Drug Policy Alliance

Comments

[RaRah]

Kellogg's is still selling Michael Phelps Posters!!!!!!!!!!:

See:
http://www2.kelloggs.com/Promotion/PromotionDetail.aspx?PID=15596

[akanaynay]

When will the hypocrisy end? We are a society inundated with prescription drug advertisements for drugs with a list of side effects worse than the condition prescribed to treat; sometimes treating diseases that seem not to even have existed before a profit could be made on treating them. Yet, marijuana is illegal. The hypocrisy is further entrenched with the knowledge of the prevalent use of drugs justified to put athletes on the playing field. So, I have to laugh at this whole Michael Phelps "Bong" drama. In fact, (tongue planted firmly in cheek)I don't know why the multiple Olympic gold medalist should have felt the need to apologize to his sponsors for smoking pot. If anything, he should be apologizing to those he smokes pot with. The size and capacity of his lungs!?! One bong hit and he's smoked up all the pot in the room. What pot smoker would be stupid enough to even pass the bong to Michael Phelps? This guy can hold his breath underwater for two laps of an Olympic size pool. It’s like inviting an elephant to snort cocaine! Now I think it's very evident why he eats so much and it is because he's "burning" something alright, but it ain't just calories while swimming laps. His feeding frenzy is obviously due in part to the effect of the "after burn" of his bong workout--called the "MUNCHIES"! Subway should reconsider dropping their sponsorship, Phelps has just become an even more credible spokesperson.

[stevebest]

Subway did not drop Micheal Phelpls kellogg did, I have eaten a lot of sandwiches since the statement. Omega watch was exited to see their watch in the bong photo and will be keeping him and speedo will be keeping him. Kelloggs/Keebler is the only company to fire Phelps for the incident.

[inthewind]

Phelps, deserves the Medal of Valor because he is the only American to kick the Chinese's ass in the last 50 years, and did it on their Homeland. Eisenhower, Nixon, Kennedy, CLinton, nor Bush scored a measly goal against China. Lo, Phelps crushed China and MacArther was swimming in his grave.

P.S. But 9 months to whoever sold him that bong!

[tewtimes]

While everyone recoils at the shock and disappointment of an amazing athlete's indulgence in marijuana use, and then fixates on his imminent rejection from myriad corporate endorsements, the other story not so well-covered is the main-streamization (my phrase) of pot use. No big news bulletin there but which media outlet so much as glanced at the alter-ego story going on here; namely how pervasive marijuana consumption grows each year in North America. Rather than paying homage to the emerging majority of smokers and suppliers, and the inexorable crawl towards decriminalization and legalization, media outlets flood us with quasi-reactionary coverage of Mr. Phelps' "shameful' behavior pending his free-fall from grace. Isn't it time to confront the defects of anachronistic marijuana laws in contrast to the choices so many people make to purchase, raise, and/or consume marijuana? Old-school enforcement and shame/blame mass journalistic coverages will fall yet.

[ObjectiveRealist]

If I had ever been a fan of Phelps, I would not continue to after the disgraceful display of cowardice, as he offered an apology because he "engaged in behavior" that is legally recognized as his unalienable right in civilized countries across western Europe, within a private residence and in designated coffee shops. The prison industry costs taxpayers billions of dollars, not innocent, non-violent "drug criminals." Phelps should apologize now, for being a tool.

[momoffour1980]

Yeah its against the law to smoke pot but I'm sure pretty much everyone has tried it at one point. I'm sure he wasn't doing it during the olympics otherwise he wouldn't have won any medals since after you do smoke it you usually don't want to do anything. Plus I would guess that there are alot worse things happening at a college campus that should be taken care of.

[indie11]

Too true.
I worked two jobs and attended school at night while smoking. I was so busy I sometimes used it just to calm down enough to get to sleep at night.
Of course the pharmaceutical industry would have preferred I used habit-forming Ambien.

I was single and younger then as Michael Phelps is.
Now as a parent I don't recommend it. My toddlers are so tricky I can't afford even a toke I have to be on my toes at ALL times!
Nice while it lasted though....

[Brian Ross - Huffpost Blogger]

I was more shocked to hear that Tommy Chong admitted to swimming competitively. A role model for degenerates everywhere going healthy. How ever will he get endorsements? Zig Zag should drop him like a hot bong.

[fumes]

lol brian ross

now that's funny!

[horhay]

Tommy Chong was sent to prison in 2003 for selling bongs. He was sentenced to 9 months in jail and he got clean and sober while incarcerated. I can't say for sure if he's still sober, but as recently as 2008 he was still being hounded by "authorities", who confiscated 1000s of one of his DVDs.

Not a funny story at all, especially for a talented comedian like Chong. Does anyone feel safer jailing someone selling water pipes? Does it make anyone feel like we live in a free society?

[Realist]

The criminalization of this behavior is a perfect example of how the corrupt police state is taking over our country. Criminalzing our citizens is stupid b/c it costs us all money and the only ones who make money are the senators who own stock in prison, the corrupt senators and police who are drug runners, the CIA, and local govt from fines. It is illegal b/c they do not want competition. The sheeple who smoke are hurting no one but pharmaceutical companies who cannot sell them pills. We the people need to take back our country from the kleptocrats and totally useless politicans in DC who are insidiously entering all of our lives.

[tsanders726]

I don't really care what happens.. the thing that irritates me is this is just ANOTHER public person making an insincere apology. He's not really sorry for what he did, he's just sorry he was caught. He didn't say he wouldn't smoke again, or that he shouldn't have done it in the first place, so I'll give him that. I'm just so worn out from all the forced apologies all these idiots are making... I just want to hear SOMEONE, ANYONE say what they really mean. "Yikes, I can't believe you caught me. I'm not at all sorry for what I did.. but I hate that you caught me doing it"

Now that would be refreshing.

[aloha43]

I think the media should lay off of Phelps. I can't say how many times I heard this story last night. It is ridiculous.

And now, the sheriff in SC wants to press charges if it can be proven that he'd smoked it in the county in question. Ridiculous again.

No one can prove what exactly was being smoked in that bong. He could say it was grass from the lawn out front. There is absolutely NO way to prove it, so how can charges be pressed on him.

This is a NON ISSUE, and the media is, again, blowing things out of proportion. Kind of like Sarah Palin and Joe the Plumber. If the media would let it go.....we wouldn't have to hear about those things.

[zizyphus]

As a parent, I told my teenaged kids the truth about all the drugs they would encounter. That is the duty parents have. I told them that they are better off not using any substance.

Realistically, people like use social lubricants of one kind or another. That has been the case for thousands of years. It is human nature to experiment with altering consciousness. Some people want the oblivion that only alcohol can bring, while others want the enhanced sensorial qualities offered by cannabis.

While the DEA tries to paint a picture of the pot smoker as a wild-eyed radical of some sort, the truth is, your health care providers, teachers, carpenters, bankers, contractors, bureaucrats, cops and firemen are twisting one up when they get home from a hard day's work. Their kids will know the truth that pot is not as damaging as alcohol. And they will know that our government wasted billions on a propaganda and fear campaign.

[leftbehind2000]

I hope you warned them about the use of energy drinks. As a teacher, I see the manic effects of excessive sugar and caffeine every day in the classroom. While I wouldn't advocate for student pot smoking, I'd wager weed is less damaging to a teen's system, as well as less inhibiting to their potential for classroom learning.

[Katie6383]

I have to say I think this was blown way out of proportion. Who gives a crap? I mean, seriously. If he was holding a crack pipe, then yeah, by all means make a stink. But a bong hit?? His sponsors would be stupid to drop him because no one is perfect and there are very few people out there that haven't smoked at some point in their lives. I think the media just needs to relax and take a deep breath. There are more important things out there to worry about right now (economy!!) than Michael Phelps taking a bong hit.

[rjmiller]

If this is the event that focuses the nation on drug law reform, it would be pretty hilarious.

The Bong Hit Heard 'Round the World?

[hippynanainblingland]

My thoughts exactly!

[ignorantwillyharper]

Marijuana is illegal because it creates jobs. produces and supplements huge amounts of money to federal, state and local governemnt to fight it. Marijuana helps build prisons, creates courts, places more re-hab centers to be built, causes foriture of personal property to the Fed's and States, helps provides money for research and the list goes on and on.
If the truth were known, we'd find 80% of congress are users of the vile substance. It appears not to cause the damage alcohol does to the body and anyone smoking it is no worse than a person slipping into a speakeasy during prohibition and having a illegal beer.
As long as there is money to be made by all levels of government, it will stay illegal. While I'm not a user (leaves a bad taste), I certainly see no more harm in it, than eating a ham sandwich. As long as it creates jobs and brings in the money to government it will stay illegal, but the real money would be to legalize and tax it.