John Kerry: 'Yeah...I smoked pot...and liked it'

This is John Kerry on drugs

[zombienote: I found this searching for news this morning.

As this is the most bitter presidential campaign any living American has seen, the GOP Echo Chamber is already in high gear with anti-Kerry mudslinging.

In this article, excerpted to highlight Kerry's past assertions about smoking pot, Kerry is presented as unapologetic and states clearly he "liked it"...but hasn't touched it since 1972.

Elsewhere in the media it is easy to find statements where Kerry waffles severely on the issue. He can say he liked smoking pot yet still support the multi-billion-dollar federal war against it - and you and me.

Personally, I have no idea what really to think of John Kerry: he does seem as wishy washy as politicians get, but he can also "tell it like it is". Poor old Bill Clinton could be a Rhodes scholar, a lawyer and professor of law, but would ask us to believe he didn't know how to "work a bong". Kerry can unabashedly say he liked pot and not offer much of an apology (other than he hasn't "touched it" in 32 years).

Kerry, like every other Democrat, has the opportunity to simply wail on the GOP with the issue of cannabis reform. The GOP has no maneuvering room, having painted themselves into a corner with thier marijuana hate speech. All they can do is spout reeefer madness. (Unless one of them gets cancer, then they can talk a little bit about medical marijuana, at the risk of being savaged by their own kind.)

I have seen statements from Kerry in the past both indicating he would support medical marijuana, and that he would not support it.

Like most politicians he seems to be more focused on saying the right thing over and above DOING the right thing.

As you read below you will find he contradicts this statement in his recent book, which is excerpted below.

Kerry can and needs to fully endorse medical cannabis, he needs to stand up and say that the Federal War on Marijauna should be ended, that it is a war against our neighbors and our families, not faceless terrorists or criminals. He is already being smeared day and night by the GOP: he has nothing to lose and tens of millions of votes to gain.]


From: The Condensed John Kerry
Here's all you need to know about that book on Kerry in Vietnam.
Slate | Posted Wednesday, March 10, 2004, at 3:48 PM PT

By Chris Suellentrop

*********

Page 69: "Kerry harbored a fundamental skepticism for the counterculture in general, and its enthusiasm for illicit drugs in particular."

Page 267: The Doors were Kerry's favorite band, "and he would blast 'Light My Fire' and 'Love Me Two Times' while patrolling the Delta rivers. … Kerry, however, never touched drugs in Vietnam. 'I like the lyrical intensity of The Doors,' he explained. 'Morrison was a poet, in my opinion. The drug part didn't interest me.' "

Page 407: After the war, Kerry decides to loosen up a little. "Occasionally during his travels around America in 1971, usually with either Julia or a fellow veteran, Kerry had smoked marijuana. … He never smoked pot while at Yale or in the Navy. But during his stint as a leader of VVAW, he occasionally indulged. 'Yeah, I smoked pot when I came home from Vietnam,' Kerry noted in a 2003 interview. 'I didn't mind getting high. I certainly enjoyed it. But I didn't like the out-of-control component. I like being alert. So I tried it a few times, but I didn't touch it after 1972.' "

TheWeedMan sez;

Way ta go man... I like the fact that more and more of us smokers are gettin political in our old age.. (I'm half a century now and weed hasn't harmed me a bit)

This is to invite everyone who reads this to come on over to the Kerry site to join the LARGEST DISCUSSION GROUP on his forum... guess what the topic is.... yea you guessed it MARIJUANA and drug policy reform!

Here's where to come... http://forum.johnkerry.com when you get there make yourself an account to post with (I'm TheWeedMan) and go to the "Other Issues" section, then look for the "Issues and Solutions to the War on Drugs" thread. We are currently on "Part 2" of this thread since the first one exceeded the limit of the "system" there.... was 60+ pages then and is now AGAIN up to 20+, this just in a matter of a couple of weeks.

So come on over and let your voice be heard that WE DEMAND TO BE HEARD THIS ELECTION YEAR! On marijuana decriminalization and related changes to bring some sanity to the legal and medical system of this nation regarding marijuana use.

TheWeedMan.... See ya there!

Great job, Doc- I had no idea, thanks for bringing this to light. I wont be voting for Kerry. He is a career politician and far to flakey for me however much better than Clinton he is. I certainly wont be towing the GOP line and voting for Bush either. I know I'll be throwing my vote away, but Im the one who has to live with my decision.

Anyone take a minute to consider that Kerry is trying to get elected and can't afford to come out in the open about his position on marijuana prohibition?

I'm willing to give him the benefit of a doubt. I already know Bush's policies, and frankly with the High School urinalysis and DUI initiatives on the plate, another four years of Bush scares the hell out of me.

I'll go for Kerry if for no other reason than to fire Bush.


Dennis

Can't afford to come out?!?

It's my humble opinion that if John Kerry came out and said, "I will immediately begin to end the War on Drugs", for whatever reason he wants, it would be the biggest landslide victory and largest voter turnout in the history of the United States.

I've been wrong before, though.

The GOP will never help you.

Can you say "20 Million Swing Votes"? (or thereabouts...)

I know there are a few frothy-mouthed pot-smoking rightwingers that have their lips glued to the GOP collective ass, but basically anybody who wants reform, expects reform, or works for reform is simply an idiot to vote for the hate-mongering GOP.

Slaves are free to vote for slavery... but awfully damn stupid.

And Dont Blame Me!

I voted for Kucinich!

And you were doing so well at maintaining some degree of civility... ,at some point this community as a whole will have to evaluate the effectiveness of this blind political hatred of all things Republican. One would think that having "a few frothy-mouthed pot-smoking rightwingers" standing with you would be a good thing <shrug>.

Welcome to the Culture War

Apparently "civility" means "not saddling the precious GOP with the realities and consequences of their numerous undesirable activities".

And you would vote for the GOP even thought they work against you and me all the time just because I point out their utter hatred of marijuana? Thanx. How entirely well-thought out and mature.

The frothy seem to be more interested in supporting their precious GOP than fixing the problems the GOP has caused with their marijuana hate speech and overly mean-spirited law making.

THE GOP HATES MARIJUANA AND WILL NOT BUDGE ON IT. (at least not witout gettting cancer first.)

Refute that or just keep whining - I don't care. But in the time it takes YOU to heat the air around you whining about MY freedom of speech, you could have done something a bit more useful. I point to the moon, you whine about my finger.

And by "refute that" I specifically mean - find and post something credible where your precious GOP is battling those evil Dems to relegalize cannabis.

Show us ALL what the GOP is doing to cozy up to the educated marijuana smoker or the person who NEEDS medical marijuana.

Enlighten us on what I have missed in my so-called "blind hatred" (read "saying anything at all negative about them").

Best of luck...

PS - you aren't going to get this thread shut down with all your complaining, are you? I sure hope not.

The bombast from the usual suspect circles was swift and predictable.

I am the one whining and full of hatred .

There is more to life than weed.

The GOP (nationally) does NOT like MJ, no argument. The Dems, nationally, do not like MJ, argue all you want.

Your candidate will NOT get elected and you blind adherence to a single issue in a national campaign is not, and I quote "entirely well-thought out and mature".

Blind frothing attacks do NOT change the political environment.

Calling Republicans slaves will NOT change the political environment.

Attacking me and accusing me of complaining and having your thread shut down is about as truthful as the rest of your posts. I have never requested that a thread be shut down, not once.

I have done, and continue to do, my level best in this campaign (to decriminalise/ legalise MJ) to effect the views of ordinary people in respect to marijuana, without attacking broad swaths of people - thank you very much. Impugning me personally on this issue is about what I have come to expect from you.

Just for your own personal edification civility is defined as "the act of showing regard for others" or "formal or perfunctory politeness".

Its kind of like being a Nazi who loves Jews. No offence, but supporting legalization of marijana and the GOP does not make any sense to me.

If some people refuse to vote for Kerry because he had smoked pot before that's not a good enough reason. At least him and Clinton have admitted it. Bush still does not give a yes or no answer about his cocaine use. It's obvious hes used it, if he didn't he would have said yes to it. The only reason why he doesn't say yes is because some people will get pissed and might hurt his votes. If he says no to using it someone might have a picture or something to prove he did use it. Hes quick to critize people for using marijuana though. I think of things this way though, Kerry might not come out and talk about marijuana prohibition but i'm sure he won't be shutting glass pipe shops down or making all kinds of strict things toward marijuana use. I wonder how he would have handled things that went down in California with the medical marijuana issues. I'm sure he wouldn't have been as strict as Bush was and allowed the state votes to count for legalization for the sick. Kerry doesn't have to legalize it or say anything about it, he might just look the other way when it comes to a situation like that. Bush on the other hand goes nuts and does whatever he can to stop marijuana use.

Are we always going to fight in public?

Jesus. Get a grip.

It is clear we are not going to be getting along. We appear to not even speak the same sort of English.

Again, instead of picking on me -you started this on this thread because you do not like what I have to say - you could have done something more productive, you could have told us all your brilliant idea on how the GOP will fight to relegalize the herb, tell me what I am missing

but

you

did

not.



Here.... let me help you. Finish the following sentence:

"The GOP will help us relegalize marijuana by....."

I'm sure I am just missing some little fact.

I used to hate liberals and bash them every chance I could get. Then Bush became President. I still dont entirely agree with alot of what liberalism seems to encompass, but I believe they have definitely left themselves more room to maneuver in regards to cannabis law reform without looking totally hypocritical. Besides, I think G.W. is about as far from a true Republican as you could possibly get. Between the patriot act, deficit spending, his overall willingness to erode our civil liberties every chance he gets, his contempt for free speech (I thought the entire country was a "free speech zone"), and his extreme special interest corruption, I have no idea what he is. I do know that he is dangerous and in no way interrested in any kind of debate regarding cannabis laws, and this is an issue that is very important to me as it has implications that effect me every day. I never thought I would ever be voting for a Democrat, but I will definitely be casting my vote for Kerry. I know many others who consider themselves pretty conservative on most issues and will be doing the same thing.

Hi Doc!

The GOP tried to do something about legalizing med mj in Vermont. A republican state senator introduced a bill into the republican majority state senate, (most of 'em must have cancer according to doc) The dem gov said he would see that it failed in the dem state house.
As for marijuana and the upcoming election, I don't think it will be a major issue. If it were Dennis K would be doing MUCH better than he has. In several polls early in the primaries he was trailing just about ALL the candidates, including "other."
"the economy is more important than pot" me
" a bird in the hand is worth 2 in the Bush" not me. I just remembered I forgot to mention Bush.
I heard Bush is popular with both straight men and lesbiens...

Gop

Myself being registered republican take offense to being refered to as "frowth mouthed," while marijuana legalization is an important issue to me, it is not nearly as important as the economy, war on terror, maintaning marriage and other important issues. I have never had any issue finding a bag of weed and as long as I use responsibly I have little fear of the legal ramifications. Why should I be so bothered by the fact that marijuana is illegal, when it legality has no bearing in my life. I would much rather continue to see the positive economic growth and sound economic policy, we have seen in the bush admin. Rather than seeing another dem. come into the office and allow our economy to drift freely like a ship with no one at the rutter.

Will

I Do!

I do smoke too. And I don't see the Problem with it.
What I would like to say is ..
SMOKE IT! and DON'T GIVE A **** ABOUT IT!

America is the land of the Indian, it is the Indian Home Land...

When will Indians be the President?

I Hate Bush, if he ever go mess with my country, I'll stand and fight for it....

Hidup Indonesia!!!!!!!!

MERDEKA!! MERDEKA!! MERDEKA!!!!

I smoked pot and I liked it, but if you smoke pot, regardless if you like it, you should go to jail. I dunno, call me crazy, but doesn't it strike anybody a bit odd that stoners would vote for somebody who admits to have liked pot but who still happens to support the failed war on drugs and marijuana. Maybe marijuana really does cause brain damage. Peace, HN-

I guess it's the lesser of two evils theory HN Rather have Martha Stewart in office than GWB...ya hear me?

Would you rather lose a vote giving it to a person with similar views, or win voting for somebody with intent on continuing this frivolous drug war? Yay my vote may "matter" if I vote for Bush or Kerry. I don't even agree 50% with either of their agendas, not to mention the reality of how evil or stupid they are. I guess if you want all their crap, ya what can I say thats the vote that fits you. Cool, vote for somebody that supports prohibition, and maybe you can thank the cop when he hauls you away and ask the judge to give you a long sentence, because afterall... you voted for the president who supports it. In my state, the presidential vote majority will go to Kerry I have ZERO doubt. So when I go to the polls, wether it be for Kerry, or Bush, or Nader, or Gary Nolan(or whatever Libertarian), I will have zero doubt that my vote won't matter. I guess i'm just not one of those people that cheers when I hear the name Bush or Kerry, and likewise i'm not going to vote for somebody who doesn't deserve a cheer, even if that cheer is merely because they are anti-drugwar.

The difference between me and other people when it comes to presidential election is I know my vote won't matter, I don't play the lottery and think yay maybe my vote got Kerry in. Now that doesn't mean you shouldn't vote, personally I plan to vote even though I know it won't matter. I'm stupid, but voting for a prohibitionist isn't my idea of brilliance, either. Peace, HN-