michael phelps
Last year Michael Phelps made headlines because of his outstanding performance at the 2008 Olympics held in Beijing. He also made headlines because of his diet eating habits, man if we could all eat like that and have a body like that. . . (cough, cough, excuse me).
When he came back from the 2008 Summer Olympics, after winning 8 gold medals, he was welcomed as an American hero. After that success came with endorsement deals from: Omega, Rosetta Stone, Kellogs, Speedo and Visa .
Michael Phelps was caught smoking pot, and the media has had a feast. In all honesty, I was tired of Michael Phelps before he even returned from China. He was in every news story, in every photo, he was the center of attention for the Olympics, which caused other athletes to be ignored. I would say names, but I can’t because the only Olympic competitor that I kept reading about was Michael Phelps. This doesn’t mean by any means that I want him to fail; I just wanted other athletes to be featured – that’s all. Michael Phelps trained hard and worked hard in order to win those eight medals, making his country and his fans proud.
After he was caught smoking pot, his excuse was: ”I engaged in behavior which was regrettable and demonstrated bad judgment,” Phelps said. “I’m 23 years old and despite the successes I’ve had in the pool, I acted in a youthful and inappropriate way, not in a manner people have come to expect from me. For this, I am sorry. I promise my fans and the public it will not happen again.”
I mean come on! Let’s be honest, the only reason he is sorry is because he got caught. Which even shows his immaturity, how do you go to an university party and smoke pot with everyone else? Have you ever heard from cellphone cameras, both for video and pictures? Did you know that you can make videos out of a camera? Weren’t you aware people will upload this to Facebook? That people will start updating their Twitter status to say you were smoking pot, while uploading the video of you doing it to Youtube?
Now he’s losing his reputation. He is losing his image of an good-old American boy and he’s losing or might lose his endorsement deals. I don’t want to sound like a prude and say I’ve never tried drugs – but that’s it, I tried it – I don’t do that anymore and when I tried it, it wasn’t like I did it for a straight year, it was random occasions, maybe 3 times top.
You can call Marijuana a ”recreational drug,” if that’s what you want, but there’s nothing recreational about it’s effects. Some of them are:
- Tremors (shaking)
- Nausea
- Headache
- Decreased coordination
- Breathing problems
- Increased appetite
- Reduced blood flow to the brain
- Changes in the reproductive organs
- Trouble remembering things
- Slowed reaction time
- Difficulty concentrating
- Sleepiness
- Anxiety
- Paranoia (feeling that people are “out to get you”)
- Altered time perception
- Red, bloodshot eyes
43 Comments
February 3, 2009 at 5:12 pm
Someone made this comment which I accidently deleted instead of approving. I’m all for expressing opinions even if they are against what I think:
“The author is totally ignorant about marijuana and its effects. This country is filled with millions of competent, productive people who smoke it. How about Phelps just standing up for his own judgment, saying, “Hey, I just won 8 Olympic gold medals. You’re going to tell me I don’t know how to manage my own body?” Yeah, Phelps is no longer a role model because he will never amount to anything now. What a total loser!”
I’m not posting the author’s email for his privacy, but if you come back to this post (or blog) feel free to claim back your comment.
February 3, 2009 at 6:11 pm
I disagree with your claim that marijuana cannot be seen a recreational drug due to the listed side effects.
Many of the negative effects in your list are vague, the intended goal of using the drug, or a side effect that is less harmful then regular drinking of alcoholic beverages (the par by which I base an accepted recreational drug).
In fact, your largest claims: cancer, long term lung damage, and possible car crashes are all not cited. And while I am not at disposal to cite against your facts, my viewpoint is that while tobacco and alcohol remain at the status of recreational drugs marijuana, if researched, would probably yield far less damage in those areas then the already accepted legal drugs. You may be able to prove my claim wrong, but I stand in doubt.
It is illegal substance and Phelps should not be treated as different under the law then any other person. I think it’s fair to be upset that celebrities are given more leeway in the legal realm.
Drug abuse of any kind can harm people, but I would argue that this incident does not equal abuse. You make such a big point of arguing against the term “recreational” and say that the word label is propaganda, but your article does just that same by calling this a drug abuse.
Abuse is excess. It’s using every day. Abuse is becoming financially locked into continually buying the drug despite needing the money for something else. Abuse is choosing to do activities where being under the influence of the drug can harm other people and yourself, such as operating heavy machinery. A bong hit at a house may be illegal, but it is not abuse.
I also think this issue here is not a defense of Phelps himself but an undercurrent of the marijuana legalization issue as an undercurrent. People defending Phelps see him as a step towards recognizing that even world class athletes (and in his own youth, the President) enjoy the occasional use of an illegal drug that should be legalized.
People against legalization condemn Phelps and hope to make an example of how much public shame they can rend from him. Which makes sense, because they see the drug as nothing but harmful.
February 4, 2009 at 6:07 pm
next thing you know, Phelps will be trading in his medals to score something even more hardcore than weed — like a pack of Marlboros!
February 5, 2009 at 10:09 pm
Good blog. All of Phelps’s sponsors should drop him like a hot potato.
February 6, 2009 at 11:37 am
Who cares if he smokes pot? A swimmer smoking pot is not a big surprise. The only reason why there has been so much buzz about it is because he can sell magazines, especially gossip and news.
I do agree that the author is misinformed about the effects of marijuana and its medicinal use.
Michael Phelps, you did nothing wrong!
February 6, 2009 at 12:48 pm
can we all agree that Michael Phelps wasn’t smoking pot for medicinal use?
I know it reduces pain for some people who have illnesses. However, this doesn’t mean healthy people should use it.
About the effects and side-effects I’ve seen them first hand, trust me I know the harmful effects.
March 18, 2009 at 7:54 pm
I’d rather see healthy people smoke pot than drink alcohol. The legalization is random. Random assignment for a bunch of sheep.
Alcohol kills more kids than all other drugs combined.
So, was he drinking at the party? No mention of that.
February 13, 2009 at 9:46 pm
The author of this post is exactly what is wrong with America. If you would pull
your head out of your as(aletorro’s Note: I’ve edited this comment for language)s long enough to look at the actual facts about marijuana, your eyes may just be opened. I tend to trust doctors who have researched the drug over people who take the movie “Reefer Madness” seriously. Not only has no documented case of lung cancer ever been attributed to marijuana, but studies have shown that marijuana is less addictive and less harmful than both tobacco and alcohol. I’m a college student who smokes pot about once a week, and I’ve made Dean’s List the last three semesters in a row. I can guarantee that your perception of a marijuana smoker is not the truth.February 13, 2009 at 11:27 pm
Greg, great you’ve made the Dean’s list and you smoke pot, woo-hoo! what about the rest of marijuana smokers who drop out of school? Marijuana could be less addictive than tobacco and alcohol, but usually (I don’t have any research at this time, just empirical knowledge) those who smoke weed, end up trying other drugs such as “x,” meth and cocaine, which are highly addictive.
I have two friends who died in a car accident, they were driving “high” and because of poor judgement missed a red light and had a car accident. I have another friend who claims he’s losing his short term memory and is always paranoid and he has recognized himself that is because of pot, he has tried to quit and he can’t and that’s because he’s an addict.
If I am what’s wrong with America then I’ll embrace the title in the end any benefit that marijuana can bring is highly outweighed by the harms.
April 11, 2009 at 3:20 pm
I’m sorry about friend that got into a car accident, but you cannot blame it because they were high, there are a lot of sober people who never smoked marijuana but still get into a car accident. Would that be considered a poor judgment?
I know a lot of people who smoke pot but yet they have a healthy family, a healthy relationship and a fulfilling life. You cannot really say that marijuana can cause a lot of illness that you mentioned since there is no proof for it.
I had smoked the drug and never felt anything weird, in fact it felt good and very relaxing I am competing for an ironman triathlon and I feel faster and stronger.
February 13, 2009 at 11:48 pm
I do not enjoy smoking pot at all really I don’t like the way I act or feel really, but thats my opinion. I do drink though. Saying this I believe that smoking pot is not bad. For the poeple who smoke it too often and do drop out of school, well what about the people or teens who drink to often, kill themselves, etc. Fact marijuana is not as easy to get addicted to as cigs or alcohol, but yes in may have long term affects that you mentioned such as short term memory loss. Well drinking has even worse long term affects. I agree with the guy who said Phelps deserves that smoke, he’s the won who has worked hard and earned 8 gold medals and can maintain his helath probably better then any one who reads this blog. If he was caught shooting crap up his arm, well thats different. No one would freak is they saw him smoking a cig would they? Not likely even though they are much more harmful then weed.
February 14, 2009 at 10:55 am
Let vote if he shall be prosecuted.
February 17, 2009 at 1:37 am
Most of what is written by the above author does indeed show ‘an ignorance’ of his subject. He has also been the victim of the propaganda on the war on drugs. Marijuana has never killed anyone at anytime and that is to mean one can never ingest enough marijuana to kill anything. All the symptoms the author above describes clear up when one stops smoking marijuana. As for cancer, that had been shown to have been produced by questionable trial. For one thing, there was no mention of how many marijuana smokers used only marijuana and none of the usual alcohol, tobacco, or illegal street drugs. Besides, recent medical esperiments have shown that marijuana decreases the tumor growth, not increase it, and there is also no correlation between marijuana smoking and cancer. The US government is adding propaganda to the war on marijuana in order to call the bogus tests ’studies’ and they are federally funded. The govt. pays the agency to write a study and surprise, the study fulfills everything the govt. was looking for!
Fact: Marijuana is the safest recreation drug; far less lethal than alcohol and less harmful than tobacco. I worked with Death Certificates for several years and I never once encountered one that called the primary, secondary or causes leading up to the death to have been caused by marijuana. God is wonderful. God gave us this plant to ease our lively burdens. Give it a chance. If love is no sin, then peaceful activity is no crime. Marijuana is peaceful activity.
February 18, 2009 at 3:56 am
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February 23, 2009 at 2:32 pm
To Writer:
Okay, what Michael did was wrong. But you totally contradicted yourself by saying that you did drugs too. It doesn’t matter how many times you do it, you still chose to do it. So what makes you different?
February 23, 2009 at 3:12 pm
Hi April,
I was 18 when I tried it (I’m 25 right now). I wasn’t trying to contradict myself but I was trying to be as honest as possible. Also I wanted people to understand that I’m not a “prude” and I was just trying it out, but I chose to stop doing it because the risks don’t outweigh the benefits. What makes me different? I stopped doing it.
April 14, 2009 at 12:26 am
Well, you know how you were saying all that stuff about videos and cell phones and pictures, that he should have known it was going to get posted and he was gong to get caught. Well, he did. But, have you seen anymore of those videos or pictures? Nope. Has he been caught again? Nope. So obviously, he had his little expedition when he was a bit older than you, that doesn’t matter, but it also looks like he’s quit…I don’t think you are as different from him as you think you are…You are not any better than him…
May 16, 2009 at 12:42 pm
You said,
“I chose to stop doing it because the risks don’t outweigh the benefits.”
That doesn’t make sense, I think you meant that you chose to stop doing it because the benefits don’t outweigh the risks.
About your claims that weed is a gateway, (i.e. I quote, “those who smoke weed, end up trying other drugs such as “x,” meth and cocaine, which are highly addictive.”) I would just like to see some proof. I mean have you done any research on this topic or are you just throwing out opinions? I for one do not believe that it is a gateway drug and I consider weed safer and less addictive than cigarettes.
I am just wondering why you “don’t defend” the most distinguished United States Olympian of all time? I mean you see him smoking some pot and it’s goodbye all your hard work, now you are automatically a bad person! The one and only thing that I could find to agree with you on was that other Olympians aren’t receiving adequate representation, but I understand because Michael Phelps holds the most Gold Medals ever, for any Olympian, and if America wasn’t in love with him then what would that say about our country? Not good things, however I do believe that other Olympians such as Shawn Johnson should be more publicized than she was and is currently.
So in conclusion, what I am saying is that when people make a mistake, especially a distinguished Olympian, why would you turn on them? It doesn’t make sense, also your claims that Marijuana is a gateway drug are, I believe, false and based fully on your opinion.
March 7, 2009 at 6:57 am
Well really, you wouldn’t know if Phelps is continually doing it, or if it was a one time thing at a party. I mean, he is only 23, he’s a college guy who hit it big with being an Olympic star. Smoking pot isn’t a big deal in all actuality. Really, you made it sound like he was taking a heroin-crack concoction.
This isn’t to say that marijuana is a harmless drug, but certainly much less harmless than just about any other popular drug, including alcohol. I don’t have a bunch of research or anything to stand it up, but it’s important to see both sides of any topic. Our jails are constantly full of relatively everyday people like you and me, locked up in jails for people who smoked some pot and got caught. And yet, in places like Amsterdam, you can go to a cafe or hotel and they give you a few grams of marijuana for personal use like it’s a cup of coffee. Europeans don’t seem to have a big issue with it though.
The main issue with America and abuse is simply excess and lack of self control. There can always be too much of a good thing, assuming you find pot to be a good thing. It has its negatives, but there are positives with the drug when used lightly and in moderation, so that it doesn’t end up causing tragedies. Same with alcohol, it isn’t inherently bad in moderation, but the issue is that many people in the States don’t seem to comprehend that ‘M’ word. And so the legal age ended up getting boosted to 21, despite being able to be enlisted in the army, vote, and smoke tobacco legally by 18. When we have jails filled with pot smokers and rapists or murderers getting off easy and back on the streets, I see that as something very wrong going on. I just felt that your view on pot was way too one sided. Plus people seem to think that they can ridicule anyone in the spotlight like their perfect, even if they’re around our age, such as the author of this article. As if we all haven’t made mistakes. Being in the spotlight makes no difference, and laying your judgment on someone still is rather hypocritical when you’ve made the same mistakes yourself.
March 13, 2009 at 1:20 am
This is a very poorly written article.
March 13, 2009 at 1:25 am
thanks, I think the same thing of your comment. If you are going to say poorly, there’s no need to say very. “this is a poorly written article,” should suffice.
April 24, 2009 at 11:10 am
You are a douche. Not a “big douche” but a “VERY big douche”.
March 16, 2009 at 6:10 am
I’m guessing that most of you reading this have tried marijuana. I tell you what, when I smoke weed I feel great and I have fun with it. I used to smoke on the weekend with my friends. no big deal. I smoked a lot too. Then I decided to quit. so smoking all that. I’m still breathing fine. still walking. still just as smart as any other kiddo. took an iq test and scored 111. I quit randomly for no real reason actually. I don’t feel any addiction. Any problems. Never tried any other drugs except drinking, not even a cigarette.
My main point to all of this is. You have either tried drugs so you are just as bad ass him, or you haven’t tried them, so you don’t know what you are talking about, just things you have heard from other people. give the kid a break.
March 18, 2009 at 7:47 pm
Josh,
You sound smarter than 111. Probably not an accurate test result.
March 18, 2009 at 7:44 pm
Yeah, anyone knows that smoking marijuana is not a good thing to do to your lungs. There are healthier ways to get the benefit. That said, you’re full of it. You are straight out of the reefer madness era. People are smarter than that. Marijuana is the least harmful substance injested by young people. Alcohol, on the other hand, is scarry.
So, Michael went to a party and smoked pot. He’s no different than countless other young Americans who will go on to lead important, productive, contributing lives.
People will eventually reject lies and propaganda you spew.
March 18, 2009 at 8:07 pm
is alcohol really worse than marijuana? after all they both impair your judgement. one affects your liver while the other one affects your lungs, and both affect your brain. right or wrong, sadly the law is the law and he broke it. as many more americans do.
By the way, I have seen first hand how people lose themselves to marijuana (and other drugs). None to alcohol (that I haven’t witnessed it doesn’t mean that alcoholism doesn’t exist), but marijuana leads to worse things. and honestly ( I can be wrong), but I’m pretty sure here who ever says is right is because they themselves are doing it, no? Very unbiased.
March 19, 2009 at 4:25 am
Marijuana is the third most popular recreational drug in America (behind only alcohol and tobacco), and has been used by nearly 100 million Americans. According to government surveys, some 25 million Americans have smoked marijuana in the past year, and more than 14 million do so regularly despite harsh laws against its use. Our public policies should reflect this reality, not deny it.
Marijuana is far less dangerous than alcohol or tobacco. Around 50,000 people die each year from alcohol poisoning. Similarly, more than 400,000 deaths each year are attributed to tobacco smoking. By comparison, marijuana is nontoxic and cannot cause death by overdose. According to the prestigious European medical journal, The Lancet, “The smoking of cannabis, even long-term, is not harmful to health. … It would be reasonable to judge cannabis as less of a threat … than alcohol or tobacco.”
Get the facts
March 23, 2009 at 5:23 am
You should really do some more research on marijuana before you begin posting words in bullet form claiming them to be facts.
March 23, 2009 at 5:43 am
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March 24, 2009 at 8:55 pm
to the writer of this article, you are so ridiculously naive about marijuana. hes won 8 medals this last olympics, obviously smoking pot doesn’t affect him. Watch the documentary called “The Union: the business behind getting high”. look it up on google or something (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1657827965975839596) … i wish everyone would watch this video, it would change the world.. for the better
March 24, 2009 at 8:56 pm
watch: “The union: The business behind getting high” and stop being so naive and closed-minded about marijuana
March 26, 2009 at 7:10 pm
WOW! All I can say is, Marijuana is not at all what you make it out to be. I’ve smoked before, a lot. I smoked for like a month straight, every single night… what happened? Absolutely nothing. I got hungry and sleepy. That’s it. Marijuana makes you chill out, not go out and act crazy. When you mention that it makes people lose interest in other activities and etc., you aren’t really looking into the real reasons. I’ve had friends go through this before and let me tell you, it’s once they lose the interest that they start smoking. Why? It RELAXES you! They want to get rid of their everyday stress so they smoke a joint. Another thing, my brother tried a cig before. He did it like four or five times. Now, I’m not saying that’s all it takes to get addicted… but he does smoke about a pack a week now and it’s getting worse. See the difference? I smoke my butt off for a month and I don’t get addicted. In fact, my eyes open up to the truths and myths about this “drug”. If you really want to sit there and b#tch about this… go attack all the pharmacies in the country. They have all the drugs you can find on the streets. The only difference is that they are bottled, have a small label on the container, and the name is tweaked a bit. Instead of asking them for heroin, ask them for Oxy Cotton (not sure of the spelling). War on drugs? Please. What you need to do is open up your eyes. The government knows exactly what they are doing. Trust me, if they wanted to stop drugs from happening, they could. They won’t because it’s a huge market. Keep in mind, at one point alcohol too was banned.
March 30, 2009 at 2:49 am
Ok .. what’s the big deal if he smoked pot, it’s not like he’s on steroids. And seriously people, there are a lot of better things you could be worrying about. I liked Michael Phelps before, I dare say I like him even better now.
April 6, 2009 at 3:40 am
None of your health arguments make any sense anyway. He is obviously not a recurrent user, he probably just tried it at most a couple of times. They go through regular mandatory drug testing and he has always been clean. So, yes being young and naive is a perfect excuse to try smoking. He clearly has not made a habit of it in the past, and won’t in the future, as he is planing on participating in future competitions.
April 14, 2009 at 12:17 am
I believe that this is a poorly written article. It sounds like you are bashing someone who is a hero to many just because you were tired of hearing his name and about his accomplishments.
I am 18 and have not tried any drugs of any kind, but I can tell you that about 90% of kids at my high school do smoke pot, and more than half of them are normal, successful high school students. It effects different people in different ways just like all drugs.If smoking pot is the worst thing that he has done, then I think he should get a medal for that.
There are many celebrities out there who are role models to kids who have done so much worse than smoke pot. There are plenty of athletes who are caught for using steroids or illegal self-enhancement drugs and are either penalized or let go for it. Now which would you rather hear about someone as loved and appreciated as Michael is doing? Michael is a VERY successful person, and is good at what he does.
I think you should be writing an article over something that has a greater impact on not only people, but the world, rather than criticizing an 8 time gold medal winning, record setting athlete who will be remembered just for those reasons, and not just because he was caught doing something that so many people do, but are still able to function normally without side effects. Do us all a favor, go out and take a survey of roughly 100 people and see how many of them have or still do smoke pot, I think you will be surprised at how many “normal innocent people” will admit to it.Like I said, if that’s all the dirt you can scrounge up on him, then I think he deserves a little credit.
April 15, 2009 at 9:36 pm
this article is horrible. michael phelps deserves our support not being bashed by the residents of the country he is representing
April 21, 2009 at 12:48 am
“those who smoke weed, end up trying other drugs such as “x,” meth and cocaine, which are highly addictive.”
Typical example of reversed flawed logic backed up by pointless statistic to prove a point that does not exist… The fact is that people who take hard drugs off course tried weed first… Not the other way around.
As for the other “facts” on here, most are just the usual recycled propaganda without any factual evidence to back it up. Well… beside the “Red, bloodshot eyes”… Call me crazy, but I”ll chose red eyes over a liver cancer from drinking any day of the week…
May 20, 2009 at 2:20 pm
Are you kidding me? unless you have ever tried it you have no right to write about the effects, which by the way are wrong. Have you ever had a hangover? smoke a bowl and tell me how you feel…maybe for a small percentage out there it causes shaking, nausea, anxiety, and so on. But for most it cures it. Some of the effects you listed are the reason many people smoke such as increased appitite and sleepiness. And if you’re going to list something as open as “changes in the reproductive organs” explain it. go onto http://www.drugpolicy.org/marijuana/factsmyths
and you can look at real studies by non-bias people.
May 27, 2009 at 7:35 pm
let me just say that Aspirin can cause aneurysm, heart attacks and breathing problems, and I am sure most of you have tryed it and never had any of these effects.
July 8, 2009 at 3:23 am
I am an ex-pot smoker, a psych student and a fan/supporter of Michael Phelps. My comments are pretty simple. #1 If you wanted to hear about other athletes during the Olympics, you should have turned it on when another sports besides Mens Swimming was on. #2 Correcting people grammar makes you look like a pompous ass. #3 Marijuana is classified as a non-addictive drug. So is cocaine believe it or not. They are deemed so because there are no legitimate withdrawal symptoms as listed in the DSM-IV. For a drug to be considered addictive, there has to be actual withdrawal symptoms, which as I have stated there are none with marijuana. #4 I don’t smoke pot anymore, I stopped about 12 years ago because I outgrew it. Some people don’t. My father is still a pot-smoker, as is my best friend’s mother and my 34 year old sister. They are all wonderful people who hold down jobs, go to school and a fully functioning members of society. You can not generalize about so many all at once! Of course there are degenerates out there who smoke pot, and there are complete losers who have never touched the stuff. You cannot label people in such a way, it is stereotyping, which any therapist/shrink will concur us not good. #5 My final comment is, as he stated in interview after interview, Michael Phelps is constantly drug tested. Doing it once or twice when you are off training does not a pothead make. I think if he was a heavy pot smoker, they Olympic Committee or World’s Committee might just have picked up on that one.
Thank you.
July 19, 2009 at 7:44 pm
I really have great respect for what he has achieved so far.
AND I really don’t give a sh** about the fact that he was caught smoking weed or whatsoever…
Why should I even care? That’s just the same crap with all other celebrities. Once they’re known to the world even a new hairstyle, or just a visit to Wallmart is worth being called “headline news”….
July 24, 2009 at 4:39 am
I think the author needs to calm down. You have no idea how many times he has done this or whether he has even done it at all past this one time. You talked about how hard it is to do something like this and hide it with all the new technologies; if that is true wouldn’t we have seen it by now if it was a regular activity for him? You said that you have done drugs before but “only three times”. You have no proof that Michael smoked past this one incident, so I feel as though you should, again, calm down, and stop going after someone who did the same thing that you did.
And no one is giving him any credit for actually owning up to his mistakes instead of trying to dodge them. Take some time, and calm yourself, and leave Michael alone, you don’t know anything about him other that what you read in the media, you have no idea about his life.
July 25, 2009 at 12:51 am
So, is it better to drink alcohol and kill people drunk driving and pray for forgiveness? Alcohol is one of the worst drugs ever and yet Marijuana is the culprit? I don’t agree with taking any drugs but alcohol is far worse.