cannabisnews.com: Youthful Marijuana Use Not The Stigma It Was Youthful Marijuana Use Not The Stigma It Was Posted by CN Staff on November 27, 2003 at 23:12:26 PT By Connie Cass, Associated Press Writer Source: Associated Press Washington -- When it comes to marijuana, youthful indiscretion has come of age. Lots of politicians, including three of the Democratic presidential candidates, show no fear of fessing up to lighting up in their wild-oats days. Indeed, some who deny dabbling in illegal drugs give the impression that instead of feeling self-righteous, they're a little nervous about coming across as dishonest or just square. Times have changed since one of President Reagan's Supreme Court nominees was jettisoned because of pot smoking in his past, and even over the decade since candidate Bill Clinton felt obliged to equivocate about whether he inhaled. "We're just facing reality. People do a lot of things when they're young," said Joseph Califano, chairman of Columbia University's National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse and a former U.S. health secretary. As young people who were part of the explosion in drug use in the 1970s matured and moved into public service, voters of all ages gradually have become more accepting of drug transgressions. "If we disqualified guys that had used drugs in those years, we'd probably eliminate half the potential candidates or more," Califano said. In addition to former President Clinton, former Vice President Al Gore, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., and several past senators and Cabinet secretaries have admitted to at least trying marijuana. New York Gov. George Pataki says he inhaled, as did New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Character was a big issue in movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger's election to California governor, but film of him smoking pot back in his bodybuilder days was not. President Bush, who speaks in broad terms about overcoming a drinking problem, refuses to answer specific questions about his past behavior. Eight candidates at a recent Democratic presidential debate were asked whether they ever had used marijuana. Three of them -- Sen. John Kerry, Sen. John Edwards and Howard Dean -- each answered with an unadorned "yes," drawing enthusiastic applause from the "Rock the Vote" event's youthful audience. It was candidates who said they hadn't smoked pot who felt the need to elaborate. "I grew up in the church. We didn't believe in that," Al Sharpton explained. Rep. Dennis Kucinich said he never tried marijuana, "but I think it ought to be decriminalized." Sen. Joseph Lieberman offered a joking apology: "Well, you know, I have a reputation for giving unpopular answers in Democratic debates. I never used marijuana, sorry." Only Wesley Clark offered a straightforward, "Never used it." The candidates' admissions caused barely a ripple in the media, launched no significant Republican attacks and no signs of public outrage. But conservative moralist Bill Bennett, co-chairman of Partnership for a Drug-Free America, said he was disappointed by "this kind of tee-hee, ha ha, winking and nodding at marijuana." "It's not a lighthearted issue. It's a serious issue," said Bennett, who served as director of drug control policy under the first President Bush. "They wouldn't joke like this about smoking cigarettes." It was Bennett, as Ronald Reagan's education secretary back in 1987, who pushed Douglas Ginsburg to give up his Supreme Court nomination. While Bennett says past marijuana use should not automatically bar an individual from high office, he still believes Ginsburg's use of the illegal substance while a serving as a Harvard law professor made him unfit. Would such a past damage a Supreme Court nominee today? "Probably less so," Bennett said. "The bright line is dimming, that's for sure." Advocates of marijuana, who have had some success promoting medical use of the drug, are encouraged by the more casual attitude, even though most of the politicians who tried marijuana years ago don't support legalization today. "Given the fact that we have so many prominent people in this country who have acknowledged using marijuana and didn't become junkies, derelicts, have their lives ruined, we are at a point where we need to have a conversation about do these laws that criminalize marijuana make any sense," said Bruce Mirken, spokesman for the Marijuana Policy Project, which seeks to ease marijuana laws. For parents, the proliferation of "everybody did it" excuses among the nation's leaders raises the question of how to convince teenagers that marijuana is risky. After all, Partnership for a Drug-Free America estimates that about 60 percent of parents have tried marijuana themselves. Bennett recommends describing the dangers honestly, in the same vein as warning against speeding or drunk driving. "If you smoke marijuana once or twice, probably nothing is going to happen," he said. "But you never know." You could end up a junkie. Or a president. Connie Cass has covered Washington for The Associated Press for 10 years. Associated Press Writer Sam Hananel contributed to this story. Complete Title: Youthful Marijuana Use Not The Stigma It Used To Be Source: Associated Press Author: Connie Cass, Associated Press WriterPublished: Thursday, November 27, 2003 Copyright: 2003 Associated Press Related Articles & Web Site:Marijuana Policy Projecthttp://www.mpp.org/Dems on Drugs: Any Questions?http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17786.shtmlExplaining Why They Didn't Inhalehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17760.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #11 posted by Max Flowers on November 28, 2003 at 16:23:18 PT Judge Jim Gray (an e-mail exchange with) After learning about Jim Gray and his run for senate in California and his brave end-the-drugwar platform, I wrote him the following email, which is followed below by his reply which contains some good information, especially for those in the northern California area------------ Dear Mr. Gray,My name is ****** *********. I live in ******, California. I just wanted to drop a quick note of support and congratulations for your brave and intelligent stance on prohibition. Your view of the problem is rational and right, and anyone with any intelligence, critical thinking ability, and/or not having a vested interest in prohibition knows it.You are one of the few people in politics who can honestly look at what they are doing and know that it is just and for the welfare of the people. I wish you all the best luck in your campaign and in your fight to bring an end to the drug war, which we both know is one of the biggest if not the biggest fraud and travesty in American history (it's neck-and-neck with 9/11 in my view, but that is another commentary).In my opinion, nothing could be a more profound insult to my sense of liberty and American values (as defined by the Constitution) than this endless immoral and illegal persecution perpetrated by federal authorities and their state and local minions on everyday Americans who choose to exercise the natural cognitive liberty that is their birthright as human beings. The very idea that any government official feels he or she knows better than I what substances I should and should not use, and would dare to incarcerate me if disapproving of my choice, is positively obscene to anyone with any respect for our history and the principles of freedom it represents. Not to mention being absurdly arrogant beyond belief. I will never, nor have I ever, heeded drug prohibition laws and have always recognized them for the evil and misguidedness they evidence. Good luck---you are truly fighting the good fight. I dream, however hopeless it sometimes seems, of a future world where men capable of reasoned, uncorrupted thinking and leadership, such as yourself and Dennis Kucinich, might someday represent us properly in a sane and honorable government and return this nation to one that is worthy of respect and admiration by its citizens as well as internationally.Gray's response:Dear ******,Thank you so much for your support. Without exception, I believe the issue of getting the federal government out of the drug prohibition business is the most critical issue facing our great country. Based upon your message, I will put you on my list of people to receive our campaign messages every ten to fifteen days. The request is that you forward the messages on to your family, friends and contacts, along with your endorsement to consider voting for and supporting Judge Jim Gray for Senate, and forwarding the messages onto their list of people. In addition, I will be giving a talk at the Finley Community Center, 2060 W. College Avenue in Santa Rosa at about 6 pm on Sunday, January 25, 2004. Please join us, and bring people who are interested in these critical issues. The person in charge of the event is Aaron Smith, who can be reached at 707-575-9870. In fact, if you know of any groups that would be interested in such a discussion earlier that day, please contact Lawrence Samuels at lawsamz hotmail.com, who is handling my ten-day swing through Northern California. I would like to be able to meet as many people as possible while I am with you. Thank you again for your support. My campaign website is www.JudgeJimGray4Senate.com, and the telephone number, as of next week, will be 1-888-JudgeJim. As set forth in the article I wrote for the May 2003 edition of Liberty Magazine, This Time It Matters. Good luck to us all, and thanks again for your support. Judge Jim Gray [ Post Comment ] Comment #10 posted by jose melendez on November 28, 2003 at 16:15:33 PT 'To be honest.' translation: I've been lying until now.Listen to someone tell the truth:http://www.cultural-baggage.com/Audio/FDBCB_112503.mp3The Cultural Baggage radio show from Tuesday, Nov 25th, featuring Retired officer Jack Cole, the Executive Director of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, http://www.leap.cc/ constitutional challenge [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by BigDawg on November 28, 2003 at 10:18:28 PT AND... considering almost all of the democratic presidential hopefuls have admited to at least trying it... I would say that the "everybody does it" argument is a good one :DTHEY tried it... and look where THEY got :D [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by MikeEEEEE on November 28, 2003 at 09:47:28 PT raises the question For parents, the proliferation of "everybody did it" excuses among the nation's leaders raises the question of how to convince teenagers that marijuana is risky. After all, Partnership for a Drug-Free America estimates that about 60 percent of parents have tried marijuana themselves. Proliferation shouldn't be the question anymore. It's whether or not the partner$hip is a lost cause. I get the sense they're very worried. [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by MikeEEEEE on November 28, 2003 at 09:32:59 PT Bennett recommends describing the dangers honestly I had a friend who always used to start a sentence with "To be honest." This person was the biggest liar I've ever met.Bennett starts with the honest approach too.I've always wondered, do we really need to be told up front about a persons honesty, or could we separate it ourselves. [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by jose melendez on November 28, 2003 at 08:25:45 PT Furthermore . . . Richard Cowan has exhaustively assembled a series of quotes from Walters at:http://www.marijuananews.com/news.php3?sid=720 Expose disingenuous fraud, hypocrisy. [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by jose melendez on November 28, 2003 at 07:32:56 PT 'Let them eat cake!' Some dispute the historical accuracy of the comment attributed to Marie Antoinette, "Qu'ils mangent de la brioche!" in response to complaints that peasants had no bread to eat.Regardless of that apocryphal phrase's origins, the urban legend is said to have fomented unrest and remains a symbol of unjust oppression.Here is a documented quote from John Walters. " . . . there's no question some people who are sick and smoke marijuana feel better. They would feel better if they took crack; they'd feel better if they had a hit of heroin."Drug Czar John Walters, broadcast on CSPANSound familiar? I don't remember crack displaying any neuroprotective, anti-microbial or anticarcinogenic properties, by the way. here's the link to the entire C-SPAN interview:http://65.18.211.65/mp3/waltersDisingenuousFraud.mov(file size: 4.8 Mb) How to Arrest Prohibition. [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by BigDawg on November 28, 2003 at 04:42:15 PT It's a serious issue It's a serious issue," said Bennett, who served as director of drug control policy under the first President Bush. "They wouldn't joke like this about smoking cigarettes." And Bennet wouldn't throw cig smokers in jail either. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by Kegan on November 28, 2003 at 04:14:54 PT Marijuana-friendly cafe set to open http://www.canada.com/ottawa/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=d3665125-e1c2-49c4-b927-7cfbae816751The Ottawa Citizen Friday, November 28, 2003MONTREAL--As you might expect, Chez Marijane is creating quite the buzz.While Montrealers are known for defying the no-smoking trend that's taken hold across the country, a local group has gone a step further and says they won't object if visitors light up and smoke a joint.Run by Bloc Pot -- the Quebec branch of the Marijuana Party -- Chez Marijane opens tomorrow and will offer a sparse menu of coffee, juice and biscuits to go along with any marijuana the customers happen to bring."We are not here to promote or apologize for pot -- we want to end prohibition," said Bloc Pot head Hugo St-Onge.© The Ottawa Citizen 2003 [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by mayan on November 28, 2003 at 02:36:08 PT unrelated... Here's a link to a site with many pictures of the Stratford High School drug-raid. Notice the guy in the military officer uniform? Pretty strange,eh?Armed Police Invade High School,No Drugs Found: http://www.thememoryhole.org/policestate/stratford-raid.htmAnd here's an article about Utah's 2004 Libertarian Gubernatorial candidate,Richard Mack, who want's to legalize the herb...Local Libertarian gubernatorial candidate leans to the left and speaks to the right: http://www.slweekly.com/editorial/2003/city_2003-11-27.cfmMore on "stealth" Patriot II...Expanded Patriot Act Reach Would Hit The Net, Too: http://www.avnonline.com/issues/200311/newsarchive/news_112503_4.shtmlThe way out is the way in...9/11 Widow Mariani: Lawsuit against Bush announced http://new.globalfreepress.com/article.pl?sid=03/11/26/14202259/11 Victims' Relatives: Extend Probe: http://www.truthout.org/docs_03/112803A.shtmlPush to extend deadline for 9/11 report: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2003/11/27/MNG5R3BNO01.DTLThe Kennedys, Physical Evidence, and 9/11 - by Michael C. Ruppert: http://www.fromthewilderness.com/free/ww3/112603_kennedy.htmlCalculations on the Possible Use of Thermite to Melt Sections of the WTC Core Columns: http://physics911.org/net/modules/news/article.php?storyid=22 [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by Flatbush on November 28, 2003 at 00:15:33 PT What are the odds Billy? "If you smoke marijuana once or twice, probably nothing is going to happen," he said. "But you never know." You could end up a junkie. Or a president. All that time and money (Losing 8 million dollar$) in the casino's and you would think we would get the odds and the over and under. Maybe the former drug czar only addicted to the slot machines and didn't learn anything about odds?Bill Bennett Morality Handicapper [ Post Comment ] Post Comment