Support Michael Phelps For Daring To Use Cannabis In America: The Bong Hit Seen Round The World!

That's what they are calling this craze; the bong hit seen round the world.  I'd been hearing snippets of news for the past few days about one of our Olympic athletes getting caught with drugs.  The way the news broadcasters sounded, it was another huge scandal.  I never dreamed the stink is about a kid taking a bong hit.  Someone  apparently took a picture of Michael Phelps taking a hit off a bong at a college party and the sticking of the scarlet letter begins.  Except that it isn't a Scarlet letter this time, but rather a big green 'M' for Marijuana that is being stuck to his reputation.  Now one of his sponsors is dropping him and the GREEN community gets to decide if we are going to support them in return for their scorn. Kellog's has issued a statement that basically said that the behavior of Mr. Phelps does not line up with the reputation of this family company. Kellog's is letting their contract with Phelps expire at the end of February, 2009.  Phelps was featured on a Wheaties box .  If that was not punishment enough, Phelps has been suspended for 3 months AND Sheriff Leon Lotts, of the county in which Phelps took the bong hit, is now thinking about bringing drug charges against the Olympic medal winner.  The sheriff was heard on CNN remarking that it did not matter who it was, the law had been broken. No one on the CNN report bothered to bring forth any positive information about Cannabis, instead focusing on the poor choice Phelps made to use marijuana. Phelps, who commented to CNN reporter Gary Tuckman about how he felt about the incident, claims that he was never a regular pot user to begin with. When asked by the reporter how he felt about what happened, Phelps responded, "not much.  I have to live with every mistake I've made."  Phelps did not clarify whether the mistake was smoking the pot, or smoking the pot in an unfriendly community, in an unfriendly county, in an unfriendly state. If he were found using Cannabis in Oregon, I doubt that the cops would be discussing whether or not to bring charges against him. In Oklahoma, they would probably be discussing how they could lock him away for life.  When it comes to Cannabis, we are the 'Divided States', not the United States.
  What I find so sad about all of this is the cloud of SHAME that has come to rest over Michael Phelps just because the Cannabis plant is still illegal. Consuming Cannabis did not make him any less of a person, nor did it seem to affect his abilities and strengths as a professional athlete. In fact, his use actually lays to rest some of the myths that say Cannabis users can only lay around on the couch in a stupor, too lazy to set goals or be productive in the real world.  I do not understand what the big deal is all about.  We all know that taking a bong hit is a normal part of growing up.  Most adults have tried this at least once in their lives, and no one has died from this experimentation. The worst thing that can happen while smoking a bong is the bong water may get spilled. Everyone knows what a party foul that is. And that's just it. Smoking pot out of a bong is what youngsters do at parties. Serious Cannabis users have more effective means of getting the THC into their system. Gathering around a beautiful piece of glass is a SOCIAL thing, and not something we should be condemning one individual for. If we are going to start doing this then we are going to have to start condemning all the fat people who snarf a whole package of cookies in one night, or the housewives who spend the whole paycheck at Wal-mart. I find it distasteful that we are peering into the private lives of Americans and posting pictures of our activites for all the world to see and pass judgement upon. C'mon, would you want photos of what you did last weekend to be available for the world to see? I am sure you weren't looking for hidden cameras when you were hanging out having a good time with your friends.  Every college kid in America has hit the bong, and except for those who got arrested doing it, there were no lasting effects for these students.  We're talking about Marijuana, not Olympic steroid use, or acts of terrorism against the athletes.  These are the major issues that concern our serious athletes; not a kid who tried a couple of bong hits.  If the kid drank a shot of whiskey, there would be no story.  But Cannabis is the Schedule 1 drug, not the alcohol.  There have been no deaths from Cannabis use. All of the people who mix up a cocktail every night in order to relax should not be judging a man who chooses to relax by grinding and smoking the dried flowers from the Cannabis plant.  Because others say it is evil, does that give the rest of us the right to look down our noses at somebody else?  No one called the police to report the person who ate the box of cookies. They did not lose a lucrative job contract because of their iresponsible behavior.  When we are perfect in our own behaviors, then we can cast that stone at this successful American for his impulses.  Just because the law says it is wrong does not make it so.  We have to live our lives according to higher laws.  Tea was illegal at one time, too, and because of martyrs and education we are now able to enjoy it whenever we choose.

We should be thanking Phelps for being himself and congratulate him for not believing the propaganda concerning Cannabis. What he does in his private time does not change the fact that he is a fabulous swimmer. I'm just sorry that his journey into the world of Cannabis has cost him so much. That was one expensive bong hit.

Painting The White House Green?~One Month Into Office

I told you this reporter would keep you updated on whether Obama would keep his word to the GREEN community. One of the things he promised us was that he wouldn't be allowing any more raids on Dispensaries because it was an unneccesary use of funds. I thought we'd at least get a month before we had to report on anything in this column. It didn't even take that long.
According to our California contacts, the DEA already raided a Dispensary in California while Obama was moving into the White House. I have included the information for you here.  Everyone starts with an A in my book, and President Obama is no different. His good name now has a little bit of tarnish on it.  How many patients had to go without eating, how many drug addicts didn't end up kicking the dope, how many Dads, Moms and Grandparents could not hold their babies or focus on homework because they had no access to the medicine they need? And to make matters worse, there were no charges filed, the DEA just took all of the medication and shut them down. I wonder how quick they would be to seize the medication if they knew it was scheduled to go out to their cancerous Momma that day?
In any war, there are soldiers who give up their lives for the rest of us. Those of us who grow know the risks that we take and we take them anyway because it is for the greater good. Isn't that right, Bunky? As grown men and women soldiers, we put our battle gear on each day that we walk into our gardens. Some of us may survive the war. Some of us may come out of it with permanent scars, like myself. (Our war stories are for another day and another blog). But still we got to choose. Now the states are allowing sick people to grow this plant as one last ditch effort before they die and the Federal Government will not honor what the states have decided its people want for themselves. They come and raid the Dispensaries because they are easy targets. They know the battle in court may not hold up but they know it will be too late for them to do anything about the seized medication. Every person who has had to deal with seizure has this complaint. If our prescription diabetes medication was taken during an arrest, we would be able to get access to it while in jail and while in prison. Most certainly, we would be financially conpensated for it if it were lost during the processing, or it would be returned along with the rest of our property. That is not the case with Cannabis. They determine that the 'garden' or 'dispensary' is the location of the crime and that gives them the right to seize them.
This is what President Obama promised would stop when he came into office, yet it is still happening. What can we do to make sure he knows that the GREEN community is upset? Stay tuned to find out what tangible thing YOU can do this month.

First Medical Marijuana Raid by DEA under Obama Administration

Advocates call on president Obama to quickly change harmful, outdated policy

Oakland, CA -- The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) raided a medical marijuana dispensary today in South Lake Tahoe, California, in the first days of the new Obama Administration. Even though President Barack Obama had made repeated promises during his election campaign to end federal raids in medical marijuana states, many high-ranking Bush Administration officials have yet to leave office. For example, still at the helm of the DEA is acting Administrator Michele Leonhart, who has been responsible for numerous federal raids in California, following in the footsteps of her predecessor Karen Tandy. Neither Eric Holder, President Obama's pick for U.S. Attorney General, nor a new DEA Administrator, have taken office yet.

Quote:

"Whether or not this unconscionable raid on a medical marijuana provider is the fault of federal officials from the previous administration, President Obama has an opportunity to change this harmful and outdated policy," said Caren Woodson, Director of Government Affairs for Americans for Safe Access (ASA). "We are hopeful that these are the last remnants of the Bush regime and that President Obama will quickly develop a more compassionate policy toward our most vulnerable citizens."

Paint The White House GREEN!

The latest Obama-induced phrase is, "We're paintin' The White House black."
"Black?! I said to OldSkoolGuy, "what are they talking about? If anything it should be painted GREEN!"