Drug Policy Hypocrisy: Hero Lance Is Selling Beer

Goody-goodies, black or white, see minimal hit for taking hits

(NEWSER) - Those who think Michael Phelps would be facing harsher treatment if he were black are “stuck in the 1960s,” Jason Whitlock writes for Fox Sports. “Image is everything whether you're black or white.” Only bad boys get hung out to dry when controversy calls—Phelps was “quick with the contrite, toke(n) apology and he maintains a boy-next-door image.” More»

Olympic swimmer isn't only celeb to let life 'go to pot'

(NEWSER) - Elisabeth Hasselbeck may be up in arms over Michael Phelps' bong workout, notes Jezebel, but he's not alone. The View host speculated that today’s pot could spin into tomorrow's steroid use, even though the site notes that sponsors Omega and Speedo don't seem to care. Other stars who’ve gone to pot:

• Woody Harrelson: hemp activist tryin’ to legalize it, man.
• Willie Nelson: there’s a lot of time to burn when you’re on the road again
• Frances McDormand: 2003 High Times' covergirl. You betcha.

'Silver Tour' hits Florida retirement communities

(NEWSER) - After serving nearly 30 years in federal prison for his role in a marijuana-smuggling ring, Robert Platshorn is still pushing pot—but this time it's political. The 69-year-old has founded a group called the Silver Tour that aims to convince seniors of the benefits of medical marijuana, the Wall Street Journal finds. "Nobody in the marijuana movement is talking to seniors," who are more likely than other groups to vote against legalization, says Platshorn, but "seniors are the only damn people that go to the polls." More»

Andy Caffrey often lights up on the campaign trail

(NEWSER) - Andy Caffrey is for the most part a pretty standard-issue progressive, but he's got one campaign promise that makes him stand out: He's vowing to smoke pot on the steps of Capitol Hill if he's elected. Caffrey, 54, is running for Congress in California and happens to have a prescription for medical marijuana for his ADD and PTSD. And he isn't shy about lighting up a joint on the campaign trail, which Politico points out he did twice last week. More»

Senate moves to OK booze-by-mail 103 years later

(NEWSER) - The Senate has an idea to help save the Postal Service: Let people mail alcohol. After all, FedEx and UPS carry the stuff all the time. But a law from 1909—established 10 years before Prohibition came into effect—bars the Postal Service from shipping "all spirituous, vinous, malted, fermented, or other intoxicating liquors of any kind." Dumping the law, as new Senate-passed legislation would do, could be particularly helpful to the USPS in these days of online shopping, Time reports. More»