I feel so sad for Michael Phelps.

America's beloved golden boy/pride of the USA/athletus extraordinairus has been busted in front of the whole world holding in his large, gold-medal winning hands......a bong!

Ta da! How could this be?
Could it be possible to partake of illegal substances and still be (gasp!) on top of your game? Maybe. Is it possible that marijuana isn't the evil, life-destroying devil that government propaganda makes it out to be? I would say it's more than possible. Is he going to get all his endorsement money yanked because he was caught doing what the majority of guys his age do at least occasionally (albeit without media fanfare?) It is almost certain, unless High Times decides to endorse him as poster boy for their "pot is good for you" campaign.

I am so tired of alcohol being legal and marijuana not.
The laws are backwards, stupid, and wrong. I have never had substance issues, thank heavens, but I know alot of people who have. And it's never pot causing the trouble. In my limited but intense research and experience, drinking alcohol is the most common culprit when it comes to life-destroying addictions. Followed by cocaine, meth, and prescription pills. Heroin (of course) is a no-brainer when it comes to how-to-quickly-flush-your-entire-life-down-the-toilet, but since 95% of all the people I've known are terrified to touch the stuff, it kind of falls off the radar. I can say with absolute conviction that marijuana is the least problematic drug in existence.

I have known exactly one person in my life who had serious addictive behavior when it came to pot, and he (unfortunately for my heart) had deep personal and emotional issues that contributed to his need to stay high. His was a psyche problem, not a drug problem. And even where he is/was concerned, it is better that his drug of choice be something safe rather than something that would have already put him 6 feet under, like all the other drugs I just mentioned probably would have by now, including the wonderfully socially accepted drug called beer/wine/jack daniels.

I have great respect for people who choose not to imbibe in mind-altering substances. It's a great choice for mental and physical health. It is a fine moral choice. But I have to give a huge eye-rolling, condescending sigh to all those drinkers out there who will catch a legal buzz from bud light or martinis while shunning pot and all those who partake in it as if it/they were from the pits of hell. Why must people be so blind and sheeplike? Why can't people just open their eyes and realize that our government is a bureaucratic machine that thrives on money (and only money) and rarely upholds stances that are right, smart, or best for the American people.

To: Michael
Good luck with this one, buddy.
In a perfect world you wouldn't have to deal with this huge load of bullshit. I hate seeing you get chewed to pieces and spit out by the cogs and gears of the good old USA when you didn't do anything wrong. As I see it....something being legal doesn't always make it right. And something being illegal doesn't always make it wrong.