Rant: Who cares if Michael Phelps had some pot?

[Professor S]

Originally Posted by KillerGremlin

My sister in 5th grade had to draw a picture of what people who use drugs look like. It was for an anti-drug thing like DARE at her school. She drew a homeless guy. Not everyone that uses drugs ends up homeless. That is crazy imo.

I wouldn't call it crazy at all. Most homeless people have severe drug dependencies or severe mental problems. There are very few homeless people who are simply normal people who had a run of bad luck. This is one of the reasons I am a big supporter of bringing back the federally assisted sanitariums that were eliminated by Reagan in the 80's. At the very best they get cleaned up, trained or cured, and the very worst many of the homeless are off the streets and have 3 hots and a cot.

Does everyone who does drugs end up on the street? No. But a large percentage of the homeless do have drug and alcohol dependencies.

[KillerGremlin]

Originally Posted by Professor S

I wouldn't call it crazy at all. Most homeless people have severe drug dependencies or severe mental problems. There are very few homeless people who are simply normal people who had a run of bad luck. This is one of the reasons I am a big supporter of bringing back the federally assisted sanitariums that were eliminated by Reagan in the 80's. At the very best they get cleaned up, trained or cured, and the very worst many of the homeless are off the streets and have 3 hots and a cot.

Does everyone who does drugs end up on the street? No. But a large percentage of the homeless do have drug and alcohol dependencies.

We are talking severe mental disorders like post-traumatic stress (veterans) or schizophrenia, and severe drug addiction to things like heroine or alcohol (which isn't a drug according to 99% of the people in the United States).

Probability of pot putting you on the streets = slim. Pot is not even a gateway drug (dont know how you would prove it anyway).

I'm not advocating the legalization of drugs (or even pot). But that puts me in a sticky situation...I don't want to jump on the "legalize it!" bandwagon, but I support truthing people on the reality that pot isn't that harmful. Like most things in life, this topic is in shades of gray not black and white.

[Professor S]

Once again, none of the (or my) argument is about the harmful nature of pot. No one is saying that pot makes you homeless, even the kid you mentioned said "drugs" do, and there are a lot of drugs that WILL make you homeless or DEAD, like cocaine, heroine, various narcotics, crystal meth, etc.

My point is that its against the law, and to me you cannot differentiate which drug law you want to enforce and which one you don't. The perceived dangers of pot smoking have nothing to do with it. There is no black and white when it comes to illegal drugs. They are all illegal and should be enforced as long as its law, and Phelps should feel humiliated for breaking the law in such a high profile position.

[KillerGremlin]

Originally Posted by Professor S

Once again, none of the (or my) argument is about the harmful nature of pot. No one is saying that pot makes you homeless, even the kid you mentioned said "drugs" do, and there are a lot of drugs that WILL make you homeless or DEAD, like cocaine, heroine, various narcotics, crystal meth, etc.

My point is that its against the law, and to me you cannot differentiate which drug law you want to enforce and which one you don't. The perceived dangers of pot smoking have nothing to do with it. There is no black and white when it comes to illegal drugs. They are all illegal and should be enforced as long as its law, and Phelps should feel humiliated for breaking the law in such a high profile position.

So the question is, where was Phelps smoking the pot. Admitting to smoking is not a crime unless you swear you were smoking in a place where marijuana is illegal. And a lot of states have decriminalized the stuff, so pending federal charges....

I could take a trip to Amsterdam with my bong, toke up, have someone take a pic, come back to the US, admit to smoking pot, and you can't do anything about it.

I'm just saying.

Edit: I'm saying with a sense of humor (ha ha) prof, because I know he was at a party on US grounds in I believe it was South Carolina? first time offense is a misdemeanor. as for phelps, should he feel ashamed? i dunno...he is human.

[Typhoid]

Originally Posted by KillerGremlin

Admitting to smoking is not a crime unless you swear you were smoking in a place where marijuana is illegal.

Exactly. That's what I personally find as the be all and end all. Even if there is photo proof of him smoking something out of a pipe/bong, you can't prove that it's weed just by the image. At least he admitted it, and didn't BS around the issue.

Originally Posted by Strangie

I wouldn't call it crazy at all. Most homeless people have severe drug dependencies or severe mental problems. There are very few homeless people who are simply normal people who had a run of bad luck. This is one of the reasons I am a big supporter of bringing back the federally assisted sanitariums that were eliminated by Reagan in the 80's. At the very best they get cleaned up, trained or cured, and the very worst many of the homeless are off the streets and have 3 hots and a cot.

I 100% agree. The homeless problem in Vancouver happened in the late 80's, right when they closed down Riverview mental institution. It's not that homeless people were addicted to drugs to begin with, it's that they have serious mental problems, need legal medication, and are so wired up on insanity that they turn to drugs on the street.

Originally Posted by Fyacin

I honestly think it's sad. Think of what he's thrown away.

What's that, exactly? A bunch of money? Respect of old people who are stuck in awkward mindsets? Last I checked, he still had his boatloads of gold medals, and a place in history. I don't think admitting to smoking pot after the fact will change much of that.

[Dylflon]

Man, this happened to our Canadian snowboarding gold medalist Ross Rebagliatti (sp???).

Why is pot even illegal? Silliness.

[KillerGremlin]

Maybe Phelps will get endorsed by Doritos now.

Apparently Omega is endorsing phelps...must be nice to get free Omega watches.