The List Of Successful Pot Smokers
The latest propoganda from the Office of National Drug Control Policy tells teens they’ll never get a job if they smoke pot. That, of course, is total bulls**t. In response, Radley Balko has this challenge:
Here’s my challenge to Agitator readers, bloggers, and others: In this comments thread, let’s compile a master list of admitted pot smokers—current or former—who not only haven’t ended up as heroin junkies or burnouts, but have gone on to lead successful lives. If the person is famous, include a link. But feel free to add yourselves and what you do now, too, if you fit the criteria. School teacher? Cop? Stay at home mom? Grad student? Count yourself in. You can leave out your name if you like. Or include it. Either way.
Balko kicks it off with the following:
Barack Obama, president-elect. Bill Clinton, 42nd president of the U.S. John Kerry, U.S. Senator and 2004 Democratic nominee for president. John Edwards, multi-millionaire, former U.S. Senator, and 2004 Democratic nominee for vice president. Sarah Palin, governor of Alaska, 2008 Republican nominee for vice president. British Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly, and and Chancellor Alistair Darling. Josh Howard, NBA all-star. New York Governor David Paterson. Former Vice President, Nobel Peace Prize winner, and Oscar winner Al Gore. Former Sen. Bill Bradley, who smoked while playing professional basketball. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, and former New York Governor George Pataki. Billionaire and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
The comments section to his post is up to about about 250 additional people. Some famous, some not. Everything from chemists to founding fathers to economists to athletes to musicians. I could add a school teacher I know who has run three marathons, rides his bike about 125 miles a week, and was a lawyer who graduated in the top ten per cent of his class from law school.
The point is that smoking pot isn’t by itself going to interfere with a person’s ability to have a successful career. Getting caught smoking pot will. The harm isn’t caused by the drug; it’s caused by the people who don’t like the drug. There’s probably a lot of people who would have been on this list, if they had not had their lives stolen by drug warriors.
