cannabisnews.com: NY Mayor Puts Face To Pro-Marijuana Campaign NY Mayor Puts Face To Pro-Marijuana Campaign Posted by FoM on April 09, 2002 at 13:53:37 PT By Claire Cozens Source: Guardian Unlimited UK New York's mayor, Michael Bloomberg, has become the inadvertent star of a high-profile pro-marijuana campaign after he admitted to trying and enjoying the drug.Unlike former US president Bill Clinton, who famously denied inhaling smoke from a cannabis joint, Mr Bloomberg confessed to his drug-taking in an interview with the New York magazine last year. But now, his comments have come back to haunt him after they were picked up by a lobby group campaigning for the legalisation of the drug. A full-page ad in today's New York Times newspaper shows the media tycoon with a speech bubble quoting the words "You bet I did. And I enjoyed it" emerging from his mouth. The headline reads: "At last, an honest politician".And the National Organisation for the Reform of Marijuana Laws has said it plans to use the mayor's words on bus shelters, transit signs and radio advertisements, as part of a major campaign to persuade the authorities to take a softer line on the drug.Mr Bloomberg, who learned of the planned advertisement when reporters told him about it at his daily news conference yesterday, responded with the words "Oh great, I'm thrilled".But he added: "I'm not thrilled they're using my name. I suppose that the First Amendment gets in the way of me stopping it. I think we should enforce the laws as they are, and the police department will do so vigorously."Mr Bloomberg's predecessor, Rudolph Giuliani, had a less gentle approach to those advertisers who used his name in what he considered to be an unflattering manner.In 1997, New York magazine ran bus ads that referred to itself as "possibly the only good thing in New York Rudy hasn't taken credit for."Mr Giuliani went to court to force the magazine to remove its ads, but lost his case. Source: Guardian Unlimited, The (UK)Author: Claire CozensPublished: Tuesday, April 9, 2002 Copyright: 2002 Guardian Newspapers LimitedContact: letters guardian.co.ukWebsite: http://www.guardian.co.uk/Related Articles & Web Sites:NORML's Ad Campaignhttp://www.freedomtoexhale.com/ad.htmA Potshot at Mayor - Picturehttp://www.freedomtoexhale.com/nyd.htmBloomy's Quote Used in Pro-Marijuana Adhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread12478.shtmlMayor's Pot Quip Turns Up in Adshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread12477.shtmlAds Quote a Mayor Who Inhaled and Liked Ithttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread12475.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #5 posted by goneposthole on April 10, 2002 at 05:11:17 PT ...when you kick the bucket In the words of singer songwriter Guy Clark: " What's the use in dying if you don't die trying, if you don't die trying, what's the use?"And, screw money, all it can do is buy stuff. Sixty-nine million dollars to become the mayor of New York City. He should be ashamed of himself. If Mike would have mailed sixty-nine million people a dollar, it would have been better.The only thing it's good for is a bag of weed and paying a few bills. The rest goes for everything else. [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by qqqq on April 10, 2002 at 03:34:58 PT ..ha ha...... ..Great commentaries.Mike-E,,Post-E,,and Leed-E.... ..Bloomberg bought his way into being mayor,,and I think it is delightful to see him having to carefully pretend that he is not in favor of anything illegal,but not against liking Marijuana....Ya gotta give him some credit for being so politically unwise,yet actually honest in saying,,,;"You bet I did. And I enjoyed it"....but then again,,most honest people who answered the same question about cocaine,heroin,or many other "illegal drugs",would have said,;"I enjoyed it"........I guess we must regretfully admit,that alot of things that are not necessarily "good" are "enjoyable"...... ...OK,,now let's say we asked Bloomberg a similar question,,or let's ask YOU,the reader,,,;"Have you ever tried masturbating?"......I feel sad for those who would answer;"No,,I've never tried it",,,or even more sad for those who would answer;"Yes,,,but I found unenjoyable.",,,and yet more sad for the poor person who said;"It felt good,but I felt too guilty to enjoy it".????????????,,,but then again,,to offer a balanced view of the question,,,we must include the people who would answer;"Yes,,I love it!,,it's great!..I enjoy it alot!,,I have fun doing it almost every day!.."............I remember the days of youth,,in the akward teenage years ,,when the special juices of puberty flowed wild,,and most everyone pretended that they had never masturbated..Males would sort of avoid the issue,,and pretend that they would never do it because they didnt need to..the implication was that no one had "sex",unless a girl was involved..I dont know if anyone is following what I'm talking about..?..Maybe I was really weird,and different.,,and I am not a girl,,so girls may not know why I am even bothering to write this stuff,,,and even people who are not girls might be confused...?...?..There may have very well been alot of "jocks",and athletic types,who came to grips with a more normalized view of self-gratification,and of course,,there were those who engaged in teenage sex that overflowed with the excitment of forbidden pleasures..If you're not supposed to be doing something, it makes it more enjoyable in some way......I guess what I might be trying to say,,is that just because a person finds something enjoyable,,it doesnt necessarily mean that it's good or bad...I've smoked alot of weed,and done industrial amounts of other drugs,,but I've never masturbated except for one time ,years ago..I heard that it was unhealthy and dangerously enjoyable , so I switched to drugs..... ,,,,,after once again writing way too much weird strangeness,,,I guess I'll end up by wondering if we asked the mayor if he had ever masturbated,,would he say;"Yes,and I enjoyed it"....???? ..In the world of today,,we face a very complex problem in how we are going to limit freedom in a way that respects a persons right to enjoyment,,and it is most unfortunate,that the "reality",of the situation,is the money will always win!...Money is the winner every time when it comes to matters on earth today...but, ,,if you wanna get down to REAL REALITY,,,,, ,,then you will know that money,and wealth is only good for buying things that can be bought...money cant pay for certain things,,but come to think of it,,you can masturbate for free!!!??? ,,(sorry) ..but when you Die ,and you are really thinking about being dead ,,the only thing that alot of money will help you with,is thinking of the exciting good life that you have left to your availiable offsprings,or good friends by bequeathing them the huge amounts of wealth that you have craftily hoarded during your life as the mind within the brain of a body on this earth....."You bet I did. And I enjoyed it"...that's the answer I hope you have when asked if you ever lived a life on earth..... [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by MikeEEEEE on April 09, 2002 at 18:54:19 PT Defining Success Success is not only when most NY and national media are carrying this story, but it goes across the ocean to Europe. I think Bloomberg is understandable, he has to play to the forces around him, in a city that needs Fed money. A Gary Johnson he's not, brave he's not, but later who knows. I think we should enforce the laws as they are, and the police department will do so vigorously. Lets hope the Brits don't make the same mistakes the US continues to make. A cheer and tally hoe for progressive thinkers, go Great Britain! If you haven't already, go to http://www.norml.org/ to send Bloomberg a letter. He did enjoy the marijuana, his honesty should be rewarded. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by goneposthole on April 09, 2002 at 18:34:35 PT Mike Bloomberg The man obviously suffered severe brain damage after enjoying some marijuana. He thinks others who smoke it should still be arrested. A very unusual occurrence to be brain damaged after smoking weed. It would probably the only known case in the history of man.If he can light up, he can lighten up. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by Lehder on April 09, 2002 at 16:14:33 PT tv story I saw the mayor's wistful capitulation to the First Amendment on televised news, his promise to enforce the law, and the predictably self-disparaging counterpoint that was allowed to follow: a NY man on the street, somewhat scraggly, wishing after eight years of Guiliani that the new mayor would get with it and let people party - "We wanna party." I wished the reporters had asked a guy like me, but they probably did and may have thrown out a lot of tape before lucking onto the fellow they showed.I would have asked how the mayor had been damaged by his marijuana use and if he thinks that he could be rehabilitated. Would forfeiture of all his property and a jail term have benefited him? Would NYC be better off today had he been disenfranchised and barred from voting or holding public office? Well, Mr. Mayor? Because these are things that happen to a lot of people when they're busted for marijuana. (In the US.) [ Post Comment ] Post Comment