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Report: Schwarzenegger says marijuana is not a drug (spokesman says governor was joking)
AP on Bakersfield Californian ^ | 10/28/07 | AP

Posted on 10/28/2007 8:05:49 PM PDT by NormsRevenge

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger says marijuana is not a drug, a British magazine reported Monday. But his spokesman said the governor was joking.

Schwarzenegger told the British edition of GQ magazine that he had not taken drugs, even though the former bodybuilder and Hollywood star has acknowledged using marijuana in the 1970s and was shown smoking a joint in the 1977 documentary "Pumping Iron."

"That is not a drug. It's a leaf," Schwarzenegger told GQ. "My drug was pumping iron, trust me."

Aaron McLear, Schwarzenegger's press secretary, said the governor made the comments in a lighthearted context, noting his interviewer was Piers Morgan, one of the judges on "America's Got Talent." Morgan is a former British newspaper editor.

"The governor was doing an interview with the host of 'America's Got Talent,' the newest version of the gong show," McLear said. "I think it's important to keep that quote in the context of the environment where it was said."

"Of course the governor understands marijuana is a drug. It's like when he goes on Leno or the Daily Show, if you took something like that out of context, it might seem shocking but it was in a silly entertainment context," he added.

In the interview for the magazine's December issue, Schwarzenegger refused to condemn politicians who decline to answer questions about drug use.

"What would you rather have? A politician taking stuff and not saying, but making the best decisions and improving things? Or a politician who names all the drugs he or she has taken but makes lousy decisions for the country?" Schwarzenegger was quoted as saying.

"A politician's job is to do what's best for the people and to improve the country, the economy, the environment. Why should I care if a politician takes sleeping pills every night so long as he can do his job?" he added.

In the same interview, Schwarzenegger listed former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who left office in June, as one of the greatest leaders in history, alongside former South African President Nelson Mandela, Presidents John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.

Asked if he would include President Bush on the list, Schwarzenegger - a Republican - said: "I would say that I was ... very fond of his father. I worked for President Bush Sr., and he was a great man."

"I think his son does some great things and there are some other things I don't agree with."


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Politics/Elections; US: California; Your Opinion/Questions
KEYWORDS: california; drug; hippielettuce; marijuana; report; schwarzenegger
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1 posted on 10/28/2007 8:05:50 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
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To: NormsRevenge

Yeah right!

2 posted on 10/28/2007 8:06:47 PM PDT by dfwgator
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To: dfwgator

Arnie get’s more weird by the day.


3 posted on 10/28/2007 8:09:25 PM PDT by stephenjohnbanker (Pray for, and support our troops(heroes) !! And vote out the RINO's!!)
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To: NormsRevenge

I had a gastroenterologist tell me the same thing in 1972. “Everyone smokes pot, I said drugs”.


4 posted on 10/28/2007 8:11:36 PM PDT by libbylu
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To: dfwgator

God bless the Freepers they know how find s**t LOLOLOL!


5 posted on 10/28/2007 8:17:36 PM PDT by SevenofNine ("We are Freepers, all your media belong to us, resistence is futile")
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To: NormsRevenge

This country was founded by marijuana (hemp) cultivators.


6 posted on 10/28/2007 8:18:08 PM PDT by kinoxi
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To: dfwgator

It seems like these jackasses are always joking.


7 posted on 10/28/2007 8:20:17 PM PDT by freekitty ((May the eagles long fly our beautiful and free American sky.))
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To: dfwgator

Let him submit to a urine test, like others have to in order to get a job, just to see if he is joking.

I really don’t care if he does, but don’t make a statement like that as a Governor only to have a spokesperson say it was a joke. All the billions we spend on fighting War on Drugs and locking people up for having “pot”, etc, on them would not think it is a joke.

Arnie is a great liberal nitwit.


8 posted on 10/28/2007 8:20:24 PM PDT by rineaux
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To: kinoxi

I have never in my life which has been long read that.


9 posted on 10/28/2007 8:21:15 PM PDT by freekitty ((May the eagles long fly our beautiful and free American sky.))
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To: freekitty

Right on. The effect obviously doesn’t have any stuff on him either.


10 posted on 10/28/2007 8:24:56 PM PDT by VR-21
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To: freekitty
It's true. Under Virginia colonial law, a landowner with more than a certain amount of acreage was required to devote a certain percentage to the cultivation of hemp.

Hemp fibres were used to make paper, clothing, rope -- and most importantly -- cotton bagging. Cotton bolls would not adhere to the surface of a hemp cotton bag, so that simplified the problem of dumping the contents of the bag into the cotton gin.

Also, the analgesic properties of the hemp plant were also known.

11 posted on 10/28/2007 8:25:51 PM PDT by Publius (A = A)
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To: freekitty
George Washington and Thomas Jefferson grew hemp (cannabis sativa) on a production scale. Betsy Ross made the first American flag out of hemp (cannabis sativa). Marijuana is cannabis sativa. Ruderalis and Indica varieties are less frequent in this country.
12 posted on 10/28/2007 8:27:40 PM PDT by kinoxi
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To: NormsRevenge

Governor Swartzenegger needs now to make a tough choice. He can’t fool everybody forever with his love fest with liberals while trying speciously to claim he’s a conservative.

There he is in that video smoking pot {www.forarnoldssake.com) He says nothing about Federal agents busting pot smoking medical marijuana users in California. He and Jerry Brown (his attorney general) refuse to answer the voters who voted overwhelmingly for medical marijuana. Why the silence? Why the hypocrisy? Look!—Do you not see the video of Arnold smoking pot? What the hell does this guy stand for other then for everybody and everything? Why doesn’t he just get a sex change operation in San Francisco and change his name to “Hillary Clinton” or something.


13 posted on 10/28/2007 8:29:56 PM PDT by Wills Powers
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To: Publius

Ditchweed, no doubt, but yes technically a cannabis.


14 posted on 10/28/2007 8:34:50 PM PDT by Hornitos
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To: NormsRevenge

Some Famous Cannibis Users

Aaron Sorkin, creator of ‘’The West Wing”.
Art Garfunkel , singer, Simon and Garfunkel.
Abbie Hoffman, Activist.
Al and Tipper Gore Politicians
Aleister Crowley, Author and Famous Satanist.
Alexander Dumas, Author - “The Three Musketeers”
Ali Campbell, Singer with UB40
Alice B. Toklas. Famous Cook - Wrote recipe for Hash Fudge Filmed as. ‘I Love You Alice B. Toklas’
Allen Ginsberg, Poet.
Andrea Corr, musician, “The Corrs”.
Anjelica Huston, Actress.
Arnold Schwarzenegger. Actor. ``I did smoke a joint and I did inhale.’’
Art Garfunkel. Singer of, “Simon and Garfunkel” fame.
Arthur Rimbaud.
Balzac.
Beatles.
Benjamin Franklin, Many claims but little proof.
Bill “...but I didn’t inhale.” Clinton, Politician.
Bill Gates. Not confirmed, just very strongly hinted at in his Playboy interview.
Bill Murray Arrested for possession.
Bing Crosby. Famous crooner of “I’m dreaming of a White Christmas”. Now the Film “High Society” makes sense!
Bix Beiderbecke Jazz musician.
Black Crowes, musicians
Bob Denver, Star of “Gilligan’s Island”.
Bob Dylan, musician.
Bob Marley, musician
Burt Reynolds, actor. He left his first wife because of her drug use. But he has been seen in Cannabis Cafes.
Bruce Lee.
Cab Calloway, Jazz musician. Claimed he only used it once.
Carl Sagan, Scientist - SiFi writer - film “Contact” More info here.
Carlos Santana musician.
Carrie Fischer, Actress
Charlie Sheen, actor.
Charlize Theron, Actress. More here.
Charles Beaudelaire, Author.
Cheech Marin, Actor, Don Johnson’s sidekick in the TV detective series “Nash Bridges.”
Chris Conrad, Author and expert on Cannabis Hemp
Chris Farley. Comedian.
Chrissie Hynde, musician.
Chris Rock, Actor, Comedian, Producer, Screenwriter.
Chubby Checker, Musician. Sang; “Lets Twist Again”.
Cilla Black, Musician and presenter. Tried it in the ‘60’s but didn’t like it.
Claire Rayner, Agony Aunt.
Cody Kasch Actor. TV series Desperate Housewives
Conan O’Brian TV Host
Count Basie, Jazz Ban Leader. He was on an DEA file of marajuana users.
Dame Margot Fonteyn, Prima ballerina. Also see entries for Rudolf Nureyev.
David Bailey, Photographer .
Dan Quayle . Politician.
David Hockney, Artist.
Diego Rivera Mexican Artist
Dion Fortune Welsh occultist.
Dionne Warwick, Famous singer of “Walk on by”.
Dioscorides Pedanius, 1 st cent. AD. Greek physician. Wrote ‘De Materia Medica’, used for 1,500 years.
Dizzy Gillespie, Jazz musician He was on an DEA file of marajuana users.
Dr Francis Crick. Nobel Prize winner.
Dr Lester Grinspoon.
Dr R.D.Laing
Dr W.B. O’Shaugnessy Re-introduced cannabis to European medicine.
Drew Barrymore, actress.
Duke Ellington, Jazz Band Leader. He was on an DEA file of marajuana users.
Elliott Gould. Actor.
Eminem, musician.
Emperor Liu Chi-nu, made medical recomendation for its use.
Emperor Shen-Nung, made first known medical recommendation for its use.
Errol Flynn, Actor
Evelyn Waugh. Author.
Francis Ford Coppella, Film Director. Mentioned in “Easy Riders, Raging Bulls” by Peter Biskind
Frances McDormand , Actress. Raising Arizona, Burning Mississippi, Fargo.
Fats Waller, musician.
Fitz Hugh Ludlow - wrote ‘The Hasheesh Eater’.
Francois Rabelais. 16 th French author. Recommended it as a food not a high.
Friedrich Nietzsche, Used it as a medicine.
Gary Johnson. Governor of New Mexico - Reformer.
Gene Krupa, Jazz musician.
George Gurdjieff , Russian Mystic.
George W Bush Politician and professional hypocrite.
George Melly, Jazz musician.
George Soros, Financier and reformer.
George Washington , grew it and there is evidence that he prepared it for smoking.
And incidentally many other US presidents use to smoke Hemp.
Thomas Jefferson.
James Madison.
James Monroe.
Andrew Jackson,
Zachary Taylor.
Franklin Pierce.
Also see entries for Bill Clinton and George Bush.
Gerard de Nerval French writer
Graham Greene, Author.
Grateful Dead musicians.
Harrison Ford, Actor. This is a claim made by Bill Maher that has not been denied.
Hasan I-Sabah (Hasan-bin-Sabah) Leader of the Assassins.
Heinrich Khunrath, Medieval Alchemist. and Philosopher.
Helena Petrovna Blavatsky. Russian Theosophist.
Henri Michaux poet and painter
Howard Marks. Ex-smuggler and Raconteur.
H R H Prince Harry, Third in line to the British throne.
H R H Princess Margaret, sister to Her Majesty the Queen. Her son disputes the claim.
Howard Stern, admitted it on the radio.
Hua T’o Medical use as anaesthetic .
Hunter S. Thompson, Author
Isabel Allende, Chilean author. Mentioned in her book “Paula”.
Jack Kerouac, Author
Jack Nicholson, actor.
Jackie Gleason, actor. Another whom the DEA kept on their pot files.
James Brown, musician
Janis Joplin, musician. Tried it but “... she didn’t like marijuana, it gave her the jitters.”
Jane Fonda, Actress.
Jennifer Aniston, actress. “I enjoy smoking cannabis and see no harm in it”, Daily Mail, 11/9/01.
Jennifer Capriati, Tennis champ.
Jesse Ventura, Governor of Minnesota.
Jesus Christ. ‘healed using cannabis’.
Jim Morrison, musician.
Jimmy Dorsey, Jazz musician, He was on an DEA file of marijuana users.
Jimmy Hendrix, musician
Joan of Arc, was accused of using witch herbs (another name cannabis).
John Belushi, actor. Perhaps not a particularly good role model!
John Denver, musician. He recorded a song about it.
John F Kennedy. Politician.
John Kerry . Politician. US Senator and Presidential candidate. Also see
John Lennon. musician.
John Le Mesurier. Actor. Tried it but said it’s not for him.
John Wayne, Actor, “I tried it once but it didn’t do anything to me.”
Jonathan Miller, Theatre Director.
Johnny Cash, musician. Sang songs for NORML album.
Jon Snow, Channel 4 News presenter. (UK)
Julia Roberts, Actress, “I smoked dope twice,” ...” It made me too sleepy...”
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, legendary Los Angeles Lakers Basketball star
Kary Mullis, Nobel Laurate, Biology. Is on NORML Board of directors.
Ken Kesey, Author of “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest” (1975)
Kenneth Tynan, Playwright.
Kurt Cobain, musician.
Larry Hagman, actor, of “JR” fame.
Led Zeppelin, musicians.
Lenny Bruce, Comedian.
Lewis Carroll, Author
Lewis Wolpert, biologist.
Little Richard, musician.
Louis Armstrong, Jazz musician. The ‘bust’ in his own words.
Luke Perry, actor.
Louis Hebert, French Botanist
Macaulay Culkin. Actor, Home Alone.
Mark Stepnoski. two-time Super Bowl champ, Dallas Cowboy.
Mick Jagger, musician
Mike Bloomberg. New York City Mayor.
Mike Tyson, Boxer.
Miles Davis, Jazz musician.
Milton Berle, Actor another one on the DEA list of smokers
Mo Mowlam, Minister recently in charge of UK drug policy.
Modigliani. Sculptor.
Montel Williams Chat show host.
Montgomery Clift, actor, mentioned in his biography.
Neil Diamond, musician.
Neil Young, Musician.
Newt Gingrich Speaker of the US Senate.
Norman Mailer, Author.
Oasis, Noel Gallagher “smoking cannabis is as normal as having a cup of tea”
Ocean Colour Scene, “the hardest smoking band in music” Q Magazine. 02/02.
Oliver Stone, Film Director.
Oscar Wilde, Author. “Bosie and I have taken to hashish,”
Pablo Picasso, Artist.
Pancho Villa, Revolutionary Leader.
Peregrine Worthstone, former editor of the Sunday Telegraph.
Peter Fonda, actor. “I don’t trust anybody who didn’t inhale.”
Peter Sellers, actor.
Peter Tosh, Poet.
Pierre Elliot Trudeau, Former Prime Minister of Canada.
Pink. Musician. Mentioned in Playboy interview (11/02).
Pink Floyd, Musicians.
P. J. O’Rouke. Author.
Pythagoras, Mathematician.
Queen Victoria.
Ram Dass, Philosopher.
Ray Charles, musician.
Richard Feynman, Nobel Prize Laureate physicist.
Richard Pryor, actor.
Robert Anton Wilson. Philosopher .
Robert Mitchum, Actor, was jailed in the 40s for possession of marijuana.
Rolling Stones, musicians.
Rosie Boycott, former Editor of the Daily Express and The Independent.
Ross Rebagliati, first ever snowboarding Gold Medallist, 1998 Winter Olympics.
Rudolf Nureyev, Ballet dancer. Also see entry for Margot Fonteyn.
Rudyard Kipling . Author.
Ryan Farrell, Australian Sprint Car champion.
Salvador Dali, Artist.
Samuel Beckett, Author.
Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Author.
Sidi-Hidi. Sacred religious figure of Morocco, believed to have brought cannabis to the Atlas.
Sinead O’Connor, musician.
Sir Paul McCartney, Musician.
Sir Mick Jagger, Musician. Of whom it was written; “Who breaks a butterfly on a wheel”.
Snoop Dogg, musician.
Steve Martin , Actor.
Stephen King. Author, “Tommy Knockers”.
Steve Jobs, co-creator of the Apple computer.
Steven Soderbergh, Film director.
Stephen Sondheim. Broadway composer and lyricist.
Sting / Gordon Sumners, musician.
Ted Turner, of CNN fame. This is a claim made by Bill Maher that has not been denied
Terence McKenna.
Terry Pratchett. Author of the “Diskworld” books. A bit of a cheeky claim perhaps, in that he did not object to being given a “cake”.
The Who, musicians.
Thelonious Monk, Jazz musician.
Timothy Leary
Tomas Enge, Formula 3000 World Champion.
Tommy Chong. Actor with Cheech Marin in “Up in Smoke “ - “Cheech & Chong”.
Tommy Lee, Musician.
Tony Booth, the father-in-law of Britain’s Prime Minister. Smoked it in No 10.
UB40, Band.
Victor Hugo. Author ‘Les Misérables’
Walter ‘Stumpy’ Brennan actor.
Walter Benjamin, Philosopher.
Wesley Snipes, actor. Has been seen in Cannabis Cafes.
Whitney Houston, musician.
William Butler Yeats. Famous Irish Poet and Occultist.
William S. Burroughs, Author.
William Shakespeare. Dramatist. More here.
Willie Nelson, musician.
Woody Harrelson, Actor and reformer.
Zoroaster, Persian prophet.
Eight UK Conservative Shadow Cabinet Ministers as well as some Liberal and Labour MPs.
Most popular Musicians since the turn of the 20th century. Even the boys from S Club 7!
You will find it’s use mentioned in the Bible.
And now we are told even Stone age man may have used it.


15 posted on 10/28/2007 8:36:59 PM PDT by South40 (Amnesty for ILLEGALS is a slap in the face to the USBP!)
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To: Hornitos
Washington's Mount Vernon journal showed that he took the time to separate the male and female plants, which meant he was trying to make sensimilla.

In the evening, Washington would take out his false teeth, make a tea out of hemp and wash it over his gums. This apparently gave him some relief.

It wasn't until the Sixties that science discovered that the active ingredient in hemp -- tetrahydrocannibinol or THC -- was only barely soluble in water. Thus, Washington only got a little relief.

THC, however, is very soluble in alcohol. Had Washington heated the hemp leaves with wine, he would have gotten quite a bit more relief. Washington wasn't the kind of guy who hung around the slave quarters, but if he had, he would have picked up an important bit of African folklore -- that the best way to get that fast, fast, fast relief from the hemp plant was to burn the plant and inhale its vapors.

He settled for tea.

16 posted on 10/28/2007 8:47:30 PM PDT by Publius (A = A)
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To: South40
"This is my brother, Darryl, and this is my other brother, Darryl." ;-)
17 posted on 10/28/2007 8:47:31 PM PDT by Hornitos
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To: kinoxi
> Betsy Ross made the first American flag out of hemp (cannabis sativa).

Do you have a link or cite for that? I've heard (and believe) nearly all the other claims in this thread, but that's a new one for me. I'd love to tell a few people, but I'll need a reference. Thanks.

18 posted on 10/28/2007 8:48:08 PM PDT by dayglored (Listen, strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government!)
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To: dayglored

Go to Google (or your preferred search engine) type in ‘Betsy Ross hemp’. Pick from the plethora of links that are fed back.


19 posted on 10/28/2007 8:53:41 PM PDT by kinoxi
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To: kinoxi

Thank you for this information. I really appreciate


20 posted on 10/28/2007 8:55:50 PM PDT by freekitty ((May the eagles long fly our beautiful and free American sky.))
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