Pubdate: Fri, 12 Apr 2002 Source: Columbia Daily Spectator (NY Edu) Copyright: 2002 Spectator Publishing Company Contact: http://www.columbiaspectator.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2125 Author: Paul Reyfman Note: The author is a Columbia College first-year. Webpage:www.columbiaspectator.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2002/04/12/3cb68fdb35be6?in_archive=1 MAYORAL MARIJUANA MARTYRDOM Last year, before he was elected mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg unwittingly made a statement that would greatly affect his political career. He said, "You bet I did. And I enjoyed it." This statement was made in response to a New York Magazine reporter who asked whether Bloomberg had ever smoked marijuana. Now, the quote is being used against the mayor in an enormous ad campaign by the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. The campaign began with a full page color advertisement in the Tuesday, April 9 edition of The New York Times. Bloomberg is, of course, worried that such a campaign means political suicide, and it is very possible that it will, but this would be a great shame because Michael Bloomberg is now my hero. I have smoked marijuana and enjoyed it, and I am not ashamed of it. Furthermore, I urge every person who has smoked marijuana and enjoyed it to make it publicly known. Both Bill Clinton and George W. Bush faced similar questions in the course of their presidential campaigns. Clinton's response was very evasive, in true politician style: "I didn't inhale." I don't believe this at all. I think Clinton probably smoked marijuana and enjoyed it. More than once. When Bush was questioned about allegations that he had been a cocaine user, his response was less dishonest but just as evasive--he declined to answer the question. I have a feeling Bush smoked marijuana, snorted cocaine, and enjoyed both. Regardless of their drug use, Clinton was a good president and Bush has turned out to be one, in terms of satisfying constituencies. Furthermore, Clinton carried on a functional presidency after being impeached and Bush has maintained order in a post-Sept. 11 America. Their experiments in the world of illegal narcotics did not and have not impeded their success. Bloomberg, too, has used illegal drugs and has been a successful, popular mayor, in spite of criticisms during his campaign that as a businessman, he would not be able to adjust to the world of politics. This turned out to be all too true. The Mayor was not able to put a politician's spin on his answer to the age-old "in-or-out" question of drugs. It is sad that Bloomberg's tendencies as a successful, honest businessman may indeed ruin his chances at reelection in a way that nobody could have ever imagined. According to a 1999 study by the Core Institute, 32.5 percent of college students used marijuana within the year they were surveyed, and 18.7 percent had done so within the past month. Should all these future leaders of America have to hide their drug use or sacrifice any chance at ever holding public office? Although Bloomberg told The New York Times, "I'm not thrilled they're using my name," he has not stated that he is against the campaign on principle. Therein lies the essential catch-22 of drug law reform: No candidate who supports it has much hope of being elected to office, and therefore, few politicians openly support it. Bloomberg has been inadvertently forced to serve as the proverbial sacrificial lamb, and, if this event does ruin his future political career, his political suicide should not be wasted--it could very well help bring long-overdue reforms to drug laws. Furthermore, there is a chance, albeit a small one, that the mayor's career as a politician is not as doomed as it probably would have been if this ad campaign had occurred before his election to office. Bloomberg's term has only just begun and he has more than three years left to make it clear that, although he has admittedly smoked and enjoyed marijuana, he is a good mayor. Perhaps future mayors of New York will be able to admit that they smoke marijuana and make sure this is common knowledge before their election. There are no studies proving light marijuana users to be less capable than light alcohol users of functioning successfully in society, nor are there studies proving heavy marijuana use to be more dangerous than heavy alcohol use (in fact, part of the problem is that such studies would have too many legal impediments to be performed). Mayor Bloomberg can be the martyr who changes this, whether he wants to or not, but he cannot do it alone. E-mail me at to let me know if you too smoked and enjoyed marijuana. Provide your name and let me know if you would mind your name being published. Mike has smoked marijuana and so have I. We both enjoyed it. Who else? - --- MAP posted-by: Beth