This just in from Mason Tvert at SAFER Choice:

Thousands of serious crimes take place every year in Richland County, South Carolina, including murders, rapes, assaults, and robberies. And although the Web site for Richland Sheriff Leon Lott lists dozens of unsolved homicides, his office has been spending vast amounts of time and resources pursuing a case against U.S. swimming star Michael Phelps… for SUSPECTED MARIJUANA USE!

Click on the link below today to send an e-mail to Sheriff Lott, telling him to stop pursuing a case against Michael Phelps and start focusing on serious crimes. It will only take about 30 seconds!

http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/5559/t/4030/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=2552

The Richland County Sheriff’s Department has arrested eight people who attended the University of South Carolina party where Phelps was photographed smoking out of a bong. Sheriff Lott publicly vowed that Phelps would not receive special treatment because of his celebrity, but a former prosecutor and defense lawyer for one of the men arrested said the sheriff is clearly targeting Phelps. “There’s no question that this would not have occurred the way it did if Michael Phelps was not involved,” said defense attorney Dick Harpootlian, a former Richland County district attorney who oversaw many drug cases. “It’s silly that they’ve taken eight kids and arrested them like this. I don’t think it’s a valid use of very limited law enforcement resources.”

If you agree that Sheriff Lott’s pursuit of Phelps is ridiculous and a waste of time and resources, please click on the following link and tell him to drop the case immediately:

http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/5559/t/4030/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=2552

Thank you for taking action and “Leaning on Lott” in support of safer marijuana laws and policies!

“Send a Strong Message” to USA Swimming

Tell them to reinstate Michael Phelps and stop driving athletes to drink!

http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/5559/t/4030/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=2533

USA Swimming suspended the 14-time Olympic gold medalist following the publication of a photo showing him using marijuana at an off-season party. USA Swimming was not required to punish Phelps, according to Executive Director Chuck Wielgus, but it “decided to send a strong message to Michael…”

That message: athletes must only use alcohol when they party, and they will be punished if they make the safer choice to use marijuana instead. After all, the 23-year-old swimmer would never have been punished had he been photographed chugging Budweiser beer — an official sponsor of the U.S. Olympic Committee.

If you agree Michael Phelps should be reinstated and that athletes should not be driven to drink, please take a second to click on the following link and “send a strong message” to Chuck Wielgus and USA Swimming:

http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/5559/t/4030/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=2533
Mason Tvert, Executive Director
SAFER – SAFER Voter Education Fund
office: 303-861-0033 – fax: 303-861-0915
mason@saferchoice.org - http://www.SAFERchoice.org

Download the NORML Daily Audio Stash for 2008-09-04

Download audio file (NORML_Daily_AudioStash_2008-09-04.mp3)

Sorry to be so late, Stashers, but I got caught up doing a lot of research and blogging under my political hat.  See, there was this speech last night that was #2 all-time in ratings for a political convention (somebody else last week scored #1) and I had to address that over at the Blend and the Writ.

It’s 420 Comedy day, and Tere Joyce joins us again.  This time she brings us a twenty-year stand-up vet, Bill Browning of ComedyNation.com, and we have a couple laughs talking about the current political race and, of course, weed!

I’ve also got the first portion of my Marijuana and the Media panel from the Hemposium at the Seattle Hempfest.  Joining me in the discussion are Dominic Holden, a writer for The Stranger and an activist with NORML; David Nott from Reason Magazine; Mason Tvert from SAFER Choice; and our own Steve Bloom from CelebStoner.com (it was my first time meeting Steve face-to-face).

Plus we’ve got some music from Portland’s late lamented Elliott Smith.  Yeah, it’s getting all Portlandy up in this place… because the Portland Hempstalk is just two days away!

You should click the link and read the full article from this Ph.D. candidate at a research university.  He makes the SAFER choice argument quite eloquently.

Pothead Ph.D. – Chronicle.com
I never would have made it this far in graduate school without the aid of marijuana.

Perhaps the title of this column made some people think it would be a cautionary tale. On the contrary, I think my pot smoking has helped smooth out the roughness of a Ph.D. program. And frankly, I think the disturbing issue with a younger generation of graduate students is that they don’t toke up enough. Instead many indulge in things far worse, both for them physically and for the humanities.

On one level, marijuana is simply fun, of course. However, it has other worthwhile properties for the abject doctoral student. To begin with, it’s probably the only drug that rewards you for using it. Sure, if you smoke cheap pesticide-laden stuff, you’ll probably feel crummy the next morning. But if you buy something decent, you’ll probably be good to go after a cup of coffee. I’ve often been at my most productive the day after I’ve indulged.

I’m an insomniac who averages four to five hours of sleep a night. The best way to deal with a sleeping problem is with regular exercise. But it’s nice to have a secret weapon to knock me out on days when I can’t make it to the gym. I’m certainly better off than peers who have flirted with Xanax addictions, or who waste their stipends on genuinely worthless stuff like Ambien or Lunesta.

…remember what Nancy Reagan told you when you were very little? Here’s my version: When someone offers you hard drugs, Just Say No and fire up a bong instead. While you’re at it, join NORML. Together we’ll resist the soulless forces of materialism and corporate conformity.

And maybe someday I’ll be able to write a column like this under my real name.