Rick Steves on Marijuana Legalization: NORML Conference 2010 Speech Excerpt

Rich Steves (travel guide, author, tv show host) talks about the American marijuana prohibition from a uniquely European perspective.

Category:

Education

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• NORML
• marijuana
• rick
• steves
• conference
• 2010
• legalize
• pot
• prohibition
• educational
• travel
• pbs
• europe
• harm
• reduction
• keynote
• weed
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• mary
• jane

[stepgree]

Fear is the mind killer.

[NatlNORML]

@stepgree I will face my fear. I will allow it to pass through me and when it is gone there will be nothing, only I will remain.

[WeAskThePeople]

POT & DRIVING is OK with me.

[tobynsaunders]

Steves said some deeply false stuff there. Cannabis should indeed be legal, but its use should be encouraged because it is healthy (contrary to what he said). He said 'drugs are not good'... there is this thing though, it's this highly moral philosophy called 'medicine'. In medicine, we use certain drugs depending on certain factors... sheesh, anyway, the downsides of cannabis are fewer than the downsides of caffeine. We could rant about caffeine addiction too.

[ifdreamscouldnut]

thanks rick



[bo5061]

wow i did not know rick steves smokes green!! ha i watch him on pbs.. that cool..

[stepgree]

@NatlNORML That's great! I'm glad you caught onto what I was saying. I wish more people would remember the litany against fear, because, in this instance, it is only fear that is causing people to not understand each other. If we can all just get past the fear of different cultures then maybe this world would be a better place.

[pinpoint45]

i love this! it just shows how impolite us Americans tend to be, and how we have such a negative world view.

Though there are people from other countries that can be just as rude as Americans. I specifically recall a German teacher that wanted to separate my cousins from their parents, because they were not being "responsible" care givers.

no offence to Germans but that lady was a jerk!

[Aotommo]

@hazecraze1 Remember the part of this speech where Rick Steves said that anti-intellectualism is promoted in the USA? Think about that for a moment, and then feel ashamed.

[dvssk8er3]

wow i seriously think this guy is my hero, that was a hell of a speech