4/11/2002: Bloomberg enjoyed pot
 

http://cellar.org/2002/normlad.jpg

This ad, which ran in the NY Times, has been a remarkable example of how to get free press. It features NYC mayor Michael Bloomberg's response to a question asked of him during last year's campaign.

I know - strangely enough, to get free press, you have to buy an ad in the NY Times? OK, sure, so the first day of the campaign was very expensive. But since then, this ad has been endlessly reproduced and shown to people. During the day yesterday, CNN aired their report on it about 4 times. Other newspapers and broadcasts have picked it up.

It's even appeared on the Cellar IotD. So I would say this was a pretty awesome job by the NYC NORML folks, who are overacheiving despite likely being just a bunch of stoners.

Bloomberg noted that he wasn't happy about it, but that there was nothing he could do, since those were his words and the NORML folks can say whatever they like given the 1st amendment. That's more respect to the amendment than the previous mayor allowed, but hey.

The next question is: if there is no political fallout from this, will more politicians feel OK about admitting their own dips into the killer weed?

(PA Libertarian <a href="http://kenk.org">Ken Krawchuk</a> says: "Yes, I inhaled. <i>And I held it.</i>" Now THAT'S an honest politician.)

Word up. When I run for President, I'll be able to honestly say "Nope, I didn't. But I do enjoy a good steak. Mmmmmmmmmm, steak."

Steak is good.

That "Alfred E. Newman" look certainly suggests he had a toke just before the pic was taken. :-)

Man. I just read most of KenK.org and I must say... I'mma move to Pennsylvania and vote for that guy. He's spot-on on drugs, abortion and gun control. Amen.

Re: 4/11/2002: Bloomberg enjoyed pot
 

I just heard a NORML ad on the Yankee game. They named Pataki, Bloomberg, and Clarence Thomas as admitted smokers. They don't seem to have been harmed.

Lord, I hope so...

Or, even better, maybe we'll even reach the point where it won't occur to anyone even to ask the question?

I mean, does anyone really care anymore?

So, throwing caution to the wind and possibly ruining my chances of holding elected office in the future, I hereby freely admit to my own use of marijuana in the past. It was a youthful indiscretion... I was never a confirmed user... I merely experimented with it on four- or five-hundred separate occasions, before finally deciding that I didn't like it.

And, yes, I did inhale.

Q: what is NORML?

A: National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws

So does that mean we can start calling you Herbis Boy instead?

fark, 4 or 5 hundred?
over how long?
/me staying tight lipped ;)

Trying not to lose the toke? (watching that smilie to see if it turns blue) :-)

No...you DON'T want to move to Pennsylvania. :)

Sometimes, I miss pot.

I also freely admit to past use. I won't ever run for office, but if I did, and was asked, I'd admit it. If we don't have honesty, what do we have left?

Well, it's not like there's no pot in Pennsylvania. Or is that a non sequitor? :-)

So far the only complaints you've registered about Pennsylvania are that Frankford Hospital sucks (so why go there? Lots of other hospitals in town) and none of LadySyc's relatives live here....which you knew going-in but it didn't matter until you needed help taking care of her.

Pennsylvania rocks....and Northeast Philly is hardly representative of the whole state.

Hardly.

Me too. I'll be starting plants here pretty soon. It'd be pretty easy... Not a good idea this year though, it looks like PA taxpayers will be building me a million dollar driveway in exchange for a right of way for a State Police com. tower. Too many state employees hanging around this summer...

One thing that strikes me as strange is the way local pot busts are reported here(NY border). We've had, as always, a bunch of tiny busts measured in ounces but recently they also accidentally made a 1 ton bust (which is hilarious since several of the tiny busts were the result of "extensive" investigation). They are reported as equivalent. I'd prefer it were all legal but an obvious first step would be a personal use exemption eliminating these tiny busts... Even if you don't see prohibition as the cause of the violence you've got to see the difference in potential trouble between somebody with a baggie in their sock verses a garage full of pot.