The greatest detriment to the Marijuana legalization movement is not the plant itself, and not even so much the stigma and falsehoods perpetuated against the plant. It is none other than the smokers themselves that ruin the cause.

;     Think back to when Michael Phelps got busted in a picture smoking a bong, what was the first thing he said after-wards? How smoking it was a mistake. No, it wasn’t a mistake that you smoked it, your mistake was getting caught and you wanted to protect your endorsements…and yet, no one cared you toked up, because people’s perceptions of weed itself is changing.

    If we can photograph celebrities smoking a cigar or having a few cocktails and not care, why can’t we also do the same for a bong hit?

    We need more Bill Maher, and Michael Phelps types to come out and say they smoked Marijuana and that they enjoyed it, and it should be legal. Instead, we get stuck with people like Tommy Chong, who, to his credit is a great comedian, but no one takes him seriously.

    If a Nobel prize winner,scientist or billionaire came out and said “I smoke dope” people would look at smokers in a whole new light; that those of us who enjoy marijuana are not smelly hippies with nasty dreadlocks, reciting Bob Marley lyrics ad nausem , who have an I.Q. below that of wet paint.

    If you were dressed in a suit and tie and worked for a fortune 500 company and said told someone you smoke Marijuana, they probably be stunned. Mainly, because some peple have this notion that all pot smokers are stupid, dirty hippies and they are not. They now have to re-assess what they think they know about Marijuana and its smokers. Getting people to think is a positive thing in the Marijuana legalization movement.

    Joe Rogan, comedian and former host of Fear Factor, gave his story about Marijuana and his first time with it. He used to abstain from smoking it, because all his “stupid” friends smoked it, then he met a top flight martial artist and saw that it wasn’t morons and losers who toke up, productive people could, too!

    Weed doesn’t create losers and morons, it just exacerbates the symptoms all ready present. If you are a loser without dope, you’ll most likely be one with it. Same goes for the likes of other drugs, like alcohol as well. Of course, you get your wild cards, were, ironically, the person is actually more productive when they are not sober, but those are few and far between, I believe.

    I deplore the idea of sacrifice for a cause, but some of us, mainly celebrities, have a podium an average guy like me doesn’t have. Admitting to smoking dope doesn’t get an actor fired; it gets him on the cover of Time magazine. All press is good press when you are famous. Look at Brittney Spears, who goes insane and is now on a comeback role.

    If you are someone who can break the stereotype of the stupid stoner and perpetuate a new image, one of a smart, productive member of society, then you should do so, so long as it will not bring grief to your normal life.

   The Marijuana movement, I think, would be better off with 500 productive members of society, like Michael Phelps, then 5,000 well intentioned hippies protesting for the repeal of Marijuana prohibition.

    The continued debate cannot continue to be all about how marijuana is a safer alternative to a substance like alcohol. We know that now and we continue to tell people the truth, from the lies that have surged through the Marijuana movement. Now it is time to change the way people perceive us, as a collective of individuals, not a culture of wastrels looking to Turn on, tune in and drop out, but rather a group of eclectic individuals who prefer the alternative.

Sources:

Joe Rogan interview:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMLSyOMiYd4

Micheal Phelps interview:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cilWSl6T2s