Michael Phelps Calls NJ in Support of Medical Marijuana
2/25/09
Chris Goldstein
Olympic Swimmer Michael Phelps called in to offer his congratulations to the Garden State just seconds after a medical marijuana bill was passed. Or at least that’s what some elected officials wanted you to believe by staging a public joke at the expense of seriously ill and dying HIV, cancer and MS patients.
New Jersey State Senate President Richard Codey stood at the 200 year-old white marble dias and announced that SB 119, The Compassionate Use of Medical Marijuana Act was passed by a 22-16 vote.
After Codey quieted the eruption of applause in the gallery and gaveled the bill forward, a large black phone rang with absurdly loud volume.
Codey picked up the phone, hammed it up for a minute then banged his gavel. He turned to Nick Scutari, the main sponsor of the medical marijuana bill, and said, “ Um Excuse me. Senator Scutari, I just wanted to let you know that was to congratulate you….from Michael Phelps.”
There was some reluctant laughter, as if Codey had told an old bad joke about a Rabbi in a bar.
Except this joke really has no punch line.
New Jersey residents will quickly recall that Mr. Codey had to serve as a temporary Governor, following Jim McGreevy’s fall in a sex scandal. During his tenure in that job Codey’s wife launched a public awareness campaign against Postpartum Depression. When some off-color NJ radio talk-show hosts attacked Mary Jo Codey, then Governor Codey said he would gladly ‘kick their ass’ for being so insensitive.
That’s why it was so surprising to have Codey stage such a terrible and offensive attempt at humor from the center of the NJ Senate Floor.
It also signals something interesting for America’s most decorated bonghitter. If Michael Phelps had lost all of his endorsements because of that one rip and was left on the street in nothing but a Speedo, goggles and 12 gold medals, well I can speculate that the marijuana consumers of America would have taken him in, given him a pool to swim in and a towel to dry off. But even though cannabis consumers and medical marijuana patients stand with open arms ready to embrace the popular water mutant, he is not hugging back.
Phelps has enjoyed an incredible outpouring of support from pot smokers at home and around the globe. There has even been a successful boycott of the one company that took umbrage with his Roor experience: Kelloggs has lost significant brand value as a result.
Yet Phelps has followed a carefully scripted public relations stint that will keep his image ‘clean cut’ and allow the news media to focus on his swimming and not his partying. At least that’s the hope right? He is so wrong.
While Codey’s use of Phelps’s name and the premeditated joke were disgusting to the NJ patients and supporters of medical cannabis access, it was Phelps and his publicist who probably laughed the least.
Codey will likely have to address and apologize for his poor taste on the Senate floor, hopefully with his wife Mary Jo at his side. But Phelps will have to move forward as an unwilling poster boy for American Pot Culture.
The only thing that might save Mr. Phelps from being the butt of weed jokes the rest of his life and career is to actually embrace the issue. If that call had indeed been real, then the public and the press would have shown the swimmer genuine respect.
Michael, American Cannabis Consumers are here, arms open wide: I sure hope one day you can show some real support for those who have held your head above the water, outside the pool.
More about medical marijuana access in New Jersey at
Michael Phelps Calls NJ in Support for Medical Marijuana by Chris Goldstein is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at www.activevoiceradio.com.
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Comments
I saw first hand what medicinal use of marijuana did for a friend. Back in 2000-01, my good friend Bill got lung cancer, and had part of his lung removed. But then came the chemo/radiation. Another mutual friend went to California and acquired some cannabis for our friend Bill (We had heard for along time that it might help with the side effects associated with chemo/radiation.) to counter-act the side effects of the chemo/radiation, particularly the nausea and eating issues. It worked and Bill's quality of life improved in what turned out to be his last few years on this planet. He was able to come over for our Sunday Football get-together, and get out of the house (Which his wife was all for) and socialize with his friends. I do miss Bill a lot. He passed away in 2003, around the same time I was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor, (It's in a bad location.) albeit slow growing. If I ever get in that same predicament, (Radiation/chemo) I hope I have access to something that will help me too.
Although Phelps got caught with his hand in the cookie jar, his response reminds me of Clinton's in that they both looked at their acts as bad behavior, further demonizing marijuana as a "BAD" thing to use. That is just my opinion. Why don't they just tell the truth, that the experience was ? whatever, but not something evil. I still like Phelps, and Clinton, but they did all of us that want to have marijuana decriminalized, for whatever reason, a disservice.
Rated.
stereotype across the country. What an asshole!
And so right about Michael . Just step up and be who you are man!
We got your back! And fuck Kellogs and every other hypocritical
organization that holds on to some kind of weird moral highground
that perpetuates this crapola.
Where is the sensitive when they speak like this? Where is the humor, when you mock a serious issue?
Lets hope the voters take this 'frat boy' comment into consideration when he is on the ballot again.
Rated
America has gone slightly mad after 70 years of a war on consciousness.
Thanks again William!
Brinna, gmgaston- We let too much of this 'joking' happen....I even despise the word 'pothead' now because it is used with such venom. And Brinna...u r totally right on about Codey wanting to join the fun I think:)