Olympian Phelps admits he smoked pot!

[12voltman59]

I don't know what Michael Phelps was thinking----that he went to a frat party at my old alma matter, The University of South Carolina, and decided in this day and time when everyone has a camera phone on them so they could snap photos of him taking some bong hits was not very smart at all!!!

The boy wasn't thinking-----and now the Sheriff of Richland County says he is going to seek filing charges against Phelps for smoking pot- http://www.thestate.com/154/story/672148.html
I think this Sheriff is being a bit of an ahole and is seeking his 15 seconds of fame--but of course--I am sure he will argue that "I have to uphold the law and Phelps broke it so I am doing my duty!"

So what does everyone think about Phelps now that we found he is just a mortal too??

Personally--I don't have much problem he was smoking some weed even with my experience in law enforcement---maybe I think its fine because of that experience----ask just about any cop on the beat---he or she would rather deal with someone high from smoking pot than someone all liquored up on Jack Daniels, other booze or beer---pot heads may do stupid stuff---but they are rarely aggressive and combative unlike someone who is drunk or under the influence of other mind and body altering substances.

I do think if he wants to smoke some reefer--he had better do it in private and not at a frat house where you know someone is going to snap off a few pics then go sell them---that was damn stupid!!

Do you think he should lose his endorsements because he admits to smoking pot??? Get booted from his sport????

A related story, what local people and USC students thoughts on what Phelps did during his stay in Columbia last fall:
http://www.thestate.com/local/story/672234.html

That Richland Co Sheriff might want to rethink pursuing charges against Phelps---on the page is one of those "you vote" boxes asking people if Phelps should be charged----by an overwhelming number----people are against such charges being filed---the good Sheriff might want to consider what he might gain if he does go ahead and file charges---he might see that justice is served if Phelps is charged and convicted of a relatively minor crime--- but find himself kicked to the curb come the next election--I would sure not vote for him again if I still lived in Columbia. To file a charge at this late date for something that is relatively minor and wasting very finite public resources on such a case--resources that could best be directed towards fighting serious street crimes shows the guy is just a politcal grandstander who is not taking the overall best interests of his community into consideration---so he deserves to get booted from office!

[lubi85]

I don't think smocking marjuana is a bad things... most of guys want to try

[GalacticiaActual]

I know that most people prefer our Olympic athletes to be "pristine"; a "roll model", but that's just not realistic.
Who the hell cares if he hit a bong a few times? He's still a champion, an amazing athlete... and he didn't test positive when he was competing.
The real douche-bag here is the asshole who took the picture, then turned around and used it for profit.
Just because he has celebrity doesn't mean that he's not human and prone to make controversial decisions like everyone else.
With the advent of digital cameras (on every cell phone) and the internet, it's way to easy to exploit people and take advantage of their situation.
I'm glad they hadn't been invented when I was younger and making some bad decisions. But then again, I certainly didn't live in the spotlight... :bigrin:

[onewhocares]

I do not have a problem with Phelps doing the pot, what I do believe he expressed was poor judgment in partaking in such a public area. What goes on behind closed doors should be kept that way.

While I admire those people who have chosen to pursue an athletic career...I do not subscribe to the prevalent theory by some that they are superheros and must be placed on a pedestal. They still everyday people and put their pants on one leg at a time and as such are subject to the frailties, stresses and doubts that we all face. We should not judge lest we have walked in his shoes.

Belle's :2cents:

[rissababynta]

I'm not surprised :bigrin:

I think that people go WAY further than what is necessary about pot...Yeah, it's not as great as being compeletely clean from anything and everything, but I have yet to understand how being an alcoholic is less bad...hmmm...whatever I say


Smoke it if ya got it!

[lady_starlight]

The boy wasn't thinking-----and now the Sheriff of Richland County says he is going to seek filing charges against Phelps for smoking pot- http://www.thestate.com/154/story/672148.html
I think this Sheriff is being a bit of an ahole and is seeking his 15 seconds of fame--but of course--I am sure he will argue that "I have to uphold the law and Phelps broke it so I am doing my duty!"

Do you think he should lose his endorsements because he admits to smoking pot??? Get booted from his sport????



Are you allowed to charge somebody for doing something they did in the past, without having caught them at it?? Then how come all the hollywood celebrities who admit to hardcore drug use back in the day aren't being arrested?

i guess canadian laws and american laws must be vastly different when it comes to pot. You can be arrested for posession and trafficking...but not just for smoking. And if you are in posession of less than 30 grams, the MAX sentence is only 1000$ fine or 6 months in jail.

I don't think he should lose any endorsements/sponsors/etc. Did the ex-president not admit to doing cocaine? it seems he remained president for the next 8 years or so. Things like that should set a precedent.

[rolandiscool]

Although I personally don't smoke pot or condone it's use; I am smart enough to realize that right now in the US we have two products that are totally legal yet cause more damage than those users of pot....Alcohol and Cigarettes are much worse. Both ARE addictive and have been linked to many health issues. That being said, how many people do you know have died from pot!? And don't give me that bull crap it is a gateway drug. If you believe that bull crap you perhaps should research if beer leads to Whiskey!

I'm not a "fan" of Phelps, but come the fuck on, he hasn't done anything really damaging to anyone else. If he wants to do pot and still wins the Gold, more power to him. SO the prudes who started this country need to get their heads outta their ass and legalize the crap. I firmly believe if you go out and buy a gun and shoot yourself, you are the moron who did it and don't punish the rest of us for your short comings. The same goes for drugs, alcohol, and anything else you do to yourself. Don't punish the product for what the individuals do to others. Make the punishments harrsher for those who abuse their free rights, if you shoot someone, then you should get shot. But taking drugs, getting high, and sitting in your room while some douche decides it would be great to camera phone your face on a bong....come on people...there are worse things that he could have been doing. Give the kid a break!

[Lonewolf76]

What's the big deal??? - who HASN't tried pot at some point in their life! I agree with the poster who was law enforcement and mentioned that Law enforcement would rather deal with a person who is high than an aggressive drunk - so very true. I also know as a nurse - that while smoking pot has it's risks (smoking period has it's risks) it is no more harmful than the liver that people are killing off by using alcohol. I also know as the husband of a cancer survivor that marijuana saved her life while she was undergoing chemo and radiation - she dropped all of her healthy weight and couldn't eat anything. She got some pot and smoked it - got the munchies and ate and kept it down (pot is a great antinausea drug) and gained her weight back. Show me those kind of medical benefits from alcohol!!! - Yet alcohol is legal and pot is not - go figure!! I just wish the govt would just get with the times and legalize pot and tax it. Then they could use that strapped DEA money to combat the hard stuff like cocaine and heroin. as for Michael Phelps - leave him the hell alone - he's only human! my :2cents: LW

[jamieknyc]

Bye bye endorsement deals . . . . must have had a little too much chlorine to the brain! LOL!

[FalconAngel]

Bye bye endorsement deals . . . . must have had a little too much chlorine to the brain! LOL!

Actually, he still has his endorsement deals. That was reported yesterday in the news.

Sadly, there will be no repercussions against him. If it were Joe Nobody, like the rest of us, we would be so completely screwed.

[NumberSix]

Actually, he still has his endorsement deals. That was reported yesterday in the news.

Sadly, there will be no repercussions against him. If it were Joe Nobody, like the rest of us, we would be so completely screwed.

If it had been Joe Nobody, nobody would have cared.

[AFTER9]

Beyond the medical benefits of smoking pot to cancer patients and other patients, there's other benefits to be realized from the cannabis plant. Due to the marijuana prohibition we are missing out on the benefits that could be realized by industrial hemp.It,s an amazing plant one that could be utilized in this 21st century energy crisis and going green transition we're facing.
If all this nonsense about what a young twenty something was doing behind closed doors on a college campus has an upside. It's not increased sales of tabloid style journalism.It may be that we're discussing how far apart some of our harsh laws and how many in our society view this subject. IMO we need to reexamine this whole cannabis prohibition thing.
Phelps earlier Drunk Driving worries me much more than this latest thing but thats just my humble opinion.

[jamieknyc]

Beyond the medical benefits of smoking pot to cancer patients and other patients, there's other benefits to be realized from the cannabis plant. Due to the marijuana prohibition we are missing out on the benefits that could be realized by industrial hemp.It,s an amazing plant one that could be utilized in this 21st century energy crisis and going green transition we're facing.
If all this nonsense about what a young twenty something was doing behind closed doors on a college campus has an upside. It's not increased sales of tabloid style journalism.It may be that we're discussing how far apart some of our harsh laws and how many in our society view this subject. IMO we need to reexamine this whole cannabis prohibition thing.
Phelps earlier Drunk Driving worries me much more than this latest thing but thats just my humble opinion.

I don't know what you consider 'harsh laws,' but in New York that is a $25 fine (while a parking ticket is $130).

[Laken]

He smokes pot and still has the lung capacity to kick everyone's ass in the olympics. Wah. He did something that I'd say at least 50% of Americans have tried at least once in their lives. Our last, what, 4? Presidents have admitted to some sort of drug use. He shouldn't lose endorsements and he shouldn't be punished. People need to get over themselves and stop acting like they've never made some bad decisions in their lives.

[csrakate]

I can hardly see how the Richland County Sheriff feels how he could possibly charge Phelps with possession being that the picture merely depicted him smoking a bong. The trace amount that would have been in his "possession" at the time is negligible at best and there is no evidence from that photo to prove he was in possession of anything else. All I can figure is that Richland County feels they need to make some sort of public declaration about zero tolerance from this event, but in doing so they are simply making themselves look ridiculous. But it should be pointed out that they have declared that they would only press charges IF they have adequate proof of said possession, of which they do not.

As for Phelps himself, he made a mistake, not so much from smoking that bong nor admitting that he did, but allowing himself the public exposure of doing so. If he's going to be a public figure with major endorsements, he needs to pay better attention as to how he is seen in public.

[darkeyes]

As for Phelps himself, he made a mistake, not so much from smoking that bong nor admitting that he did, but allowing himself the public exposure of doing so. If he's going to be a public figure with major endorsements, he needs to pay better attention as to how he is seen in public.Only mistake 'e made Mumsie wos bein daft enuff 2 allow 'imsel 2 hav a bloody pic taken doin the dirty deed..... afraid me cant get worked up bout summat wen me don think it wos rong in 1st place... is not unknown for me 2 hav lil waccie mesel.. wot gets mos rite up me nose is the ingratiatin way so many famous peeps recoil wen cot doin stuff an try an tell us they only tried it 1ce jus 2 c wot it wos like....yea rite...sure they did... an pigs hav wings an all.. :rolleyes::tong:

[csrakate]

Only mistake 'e made Mumsie wos bein daft enuff 2 allow 'imsel 2 hav a bloody pic taken doin the dirty deed..... afraid me cant get worked up bout summat wen me don think it wos rong in 1st place... is not unknown for me 2 hav lil waccie mesel.. wot gets mos rite up me nose is the ingratiatin way so many famous peeps recoil wen cot doin stuff an try an tell us they only tried it 1ce jus 2 c wot it wos like....yea rite...sure they did... an pigs hav wings an all.. :rolleyes::tong:

OMG....looks like we agree on something....i.e. Phelps being daft enough to allow his picture to be taken while smoking a bong!!! I was just in Columbia, S.C. (the place where this "incident" took place) visiting my mom and was surprised as to how ludicrous she found this whole thing to be at her age. She kept asking me just how they could allege possession over what was in the bong....and asked me just how much goes into one. I explained it to her matter of factly and she just sorta looked at me and smiled....I assume figuring out that I had first hand experience. So I guess there is no use in telling you that I only tried it once to see what it was like then! LOL!!! Dayammmmm...I don't see any pigs flying!!! hehe....

[elian]

I can't help but think of Monica Lewinsky saying "I never inhaled" - Or the Dell Computer stoner saying "Dude, your gettin' an *Olympic Gold Medal*" .. Gotta laugh at the garbage they are calling news these days.

Truth be told, I don't care for ANY drugs but you know what - I'm more inclined to like the story about the cruise ship that capsized because all of the ship's passengers went to the side that was offshore of an island full of gay nudists.

[darkeyes]

OMG....looks like we agree on something....i.e. Phelps being daft enough to allow his picture to be taken while smoking a bong!!! I was just in Columbia, S.C. (the place where this "incident" took place) visiting my mom and was surprised as to how ludicrous she found this whole thing to be at her age. She kept asking me just how they could allege possession over what was in the bong....and asked me just how much goes into one. I explained it to her matter of factly and she just sorta looked at me and smiled....I assume figuring out that I had first hand experience. So I guess there is no use in telling you that I only tried it once to see what it was like then! LOL!!! Dayammmmm...I don't see any pigs flying!!! hehe....

Agreein wiv me don haff becum ya Mumsie... ya shud do it more often... think how luffly yad feel...:tong:

... diff is tho..u didn get cot... so in ur case me can believe it... not that me wud eva doubtya in ne case...:bigrin: Mumsie's don tell fibs 2 ther lil knee bouncers dus they???;)

[FalconAngel]

If it had been Joe Nobody, nobody would have cared.

Well, that's true too.

[Cherokee_Mountaincat]

Too bad he blew all he worked so hard for..His career, his sponsors, and his shot at ther Olympics..just over a little fun and a good high....Idjet. Its too bad he let himself down.
Shaking head Cat.