[Darwin Fish]

I was a competitive swimmer way back when. Let me tell you, we all got high as a kite very often. This is in Michigan.

Think about it—swimming literally miles at a time, it is almost Zen like, paddling and turning, and paddling and turning. You are alone, but next to guys (and gals), in a trance-like state as you do mile after mile. What do you think about, what do you do to while away the time as hours pile by?

Yup, we all got high. In High school, on our state winning team, at least half of us got high all the time. We set records.

Of the top 6 of us or so that were the best, all of us got high regularly. Heck, we smoked doobies in the morning, at lunch break, and right before practice. And usually after.

And most of us could swim underwater for 75 yards without a breath.

We also “corrupted” other swimmers by introducing them to the fine doobie ville.

Today? I am a VP developing medical devices for a living. And at least half of the folks I deal with have done pot at one time or another. Including a bunch of gov’t folks. I could name CEO’s of multiple companies that get high regularly. And their science is perfect, and you take their medicines and use their products every day. Including pacemakers, stents, valve replacement systems, heart pumps, and too many to name.

And I can still swim underwater far longer than you can.

It’s the alcoholics that you have to worry about.

[Yossarian]

(Talk of much swimming & toking deleted.)

Today? I am a VP developing medical devices for a living. And at least half of the folks I deal with have done pot at one time or another.

And then there's the counter-examples:

Charles Rogers

Ricky Williams

New Drivers of the Presidential Limo

(Well, actually Cheech pulled out of things OK. Tommy, though....)

Including a bunch of gov’t folks.

That would explain a lot...

I could name CEO’s of multiple companies that get high regularly.

And I could point out about 4 people I saw here in the Silicon Valley that went from being sharp, highly knowledgeable PhD-level engineers to being pot-addicted garden gnomes.

I've done lots of swimming, too - I swam Alcatraz, and that involves spending a hell of a lot of time at the pool. It's true that it's a surreal existence (especially the 50 meter pool at night), but I never felt the urge to light up some mary jane. Hell - I'm hungry enough after a long session in the pool!

I'm of the opposite opinion - I've seen a lot of productive alcoholics, but a lot of brain-dead potheads. Neither is a behavior worth bragging about.

[LoveUSA]

So I should tell my soon-to-be 20 year old daughter that the reason she’s not swimming fast like the other kids on her team is because she refuses to smoke dope with them.

Uhhhhh, I don’t think so.

[LoveUSA]

I am so tired of the “it hasn’t hurt me” attitude. How do you KNOW it hasn’t hurt you? Does every one of your friends agree? Does your family? The trouble with any drug that removes a part of your self from reality is that IT REMOVES A PART OF YOUR SELF FROM REALITY.

Don’t give me any bu!!$h1t examples about people who function while enjoying an occasional reefer. I agree 100% with people who call dope a gateway drug....it is a gateway to wrecked marriages, irresponsible parenting, and worthless citizenry. I bet Captain Sully doesn’t smoke dope!

[Hot Tabasco]

I was a competitive swimmer way back when. Let me tell you, we all got high as a kite very often. This is in Michigan.

I was too and the first and only time I smoked dope (before I entered the Army) was when I took a trip to Lansing with a couple of my high school swim team mates to play water polo at Michigan State.........That turned out to be a real joke....LOL!

[hunter112]

It’s the alcoholics that you have to worry about.

I'd venture to guess that you have not tried Founders Brewing's products from your state, or you wouldn't be picking on us drinkers!

I think Phelp's sponsors only signed contracts with him because they wanted the youth appeal. A guy who's in middle age like me is not much influenced by endorsements, anyway.

They're smart enough to know that if they dumped him over this, they would lose a lot of credibility with the younger folks they expect to attract by having signed Phelps in the first place.

[dalereed]

You’re human garbage!

[varyouga]

I could name CEO’s of multiple companies that get high regularly. And their science is perfect, and you take their medicines and use their products every day. Including pacemakers, stents, valve replacement systems, heart pumps, and too many to name.

Looks like me and you are in the same boat, FRiend. I'm a mechanical and nuclear engineer about to celebrate 10 years of regular smoking. 'Celebrate' because I love to rub the lazy doper stereotype in doubters' faces after I blow them away with my work.

Nobody even believes that I smoke until I show them the greens. Everyone thinks I'm joking because EVERYONE knows 'pot makes you stupid'. Even better is when someone tries to rat me out and nobody believes them :)

And yes, I also know other extremely successful and influential people that think nothing of lighting one up. Engineers, mathematicians, chemists and business owners just to name a few.

[Swiss]

Personally I could care less if people smoked dope if it was legal.

But considering what is happening in Mexico and elsewhere I can’t consider it a harmless little habit. People are getting murdered, kidnapped, and raped because of people supplying that little habit.

[Frantzie]

Hey dude. Some of us are not dope smokers, alcoholics, cig smokers or losers. Dope smoking is not healthy.

[NYCynic]

“It’s the alcoholics that you have to worry about.”

There are plenty of successful folks who rationalize their alcohol intake in the same manner.