Schwarzenegger: Marijuana's Not A Drug

Tells Magazine It's Just A Leaf; Spokesman Says Governor Was Joking

(AP)  California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger says marijuana is not a drug, a British magazine reported Monday. But his spokesman said the governor was joking.

Schwarzenegger told the British edition of GQ magazine that he had not taken drugs, even though the former bodybuilder and Hollywood star has acknowledged using marijuana in the 1970s and was shown smoking a joint in the 1977 documentary "Pumping Iron."

"That is not a drug. It's a leaf," Schwarzenegger told GQ. "My drug was pumping iron, trust me."

Aaron McLear, Schwarzenegger's press secretary, said the governor made the comments in a lighthearted context, noting his interviewer was Piers Morgan, one of the judges on "America's Got Talent." Morgan is a former British newspaper editor.

"The governor was doing an interview with the host of 'America's Got Talent,' the newest version of the gong show," McLear said. "I think it's important to keep that quote in the context of the environment where it was said."

"Of course the governor understands marijuana is a drug. It's like when he goes on Leno or the Daily Show, if you took something like that out of context, it might seem shocking but it was in a silly entertainment context," he added.

In the interview for the magazine's December issue, Schwarzenegger refused to condemn politicians who decline to answer questions about drug use.

"What would you rather have? A politician taking stuff and not saying, but making the best decisions and improving things? Or a politician who names all the drugs he or she has taken but makes lousy decisions for the country?" Schwarzenegger was quoted as saying.

"A politician's job is to do what's best for the people and to improve the country, the economy, the environment. Why should I care if a politician takes sleeping pills every night so long as he can do his job?" he added.

In the same interview, Schwarzenegger listed former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who left office in June, as one of the greatest leaders in history, alongside former South African President Nelson Mandela, Presidents John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan and ex-Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.

Asked if he would include President George W. Bush on the list, Schwarzenegger - a Republican - said: "I would say that I was ... very fond of his father. I worked for President Bush Sr., and he was a great man."

"I think his son does some great things and there are some other things I don't agree with."

[mocalleo]

At least (R)nold was MAN ENOUGH to admit that he inhaled.

Unlike someone else (D) we all know.

.

Message to Mcvet:

If it''s OK for liberals to take a "dig" at Bush,
then it''s OK for conservatives to take a dig" at Clinton.

GET USED TO IT, swastika breath.
Seig Heil, Mcvet

PS.
Next time, take your meds before you get online.

LOL

[southerndove-2009]

My goodness "thefarrier", You sound like you are on your death bed with all that you are "sick of". Maybe you should be one of the many who should move to different country. Freedom is not Free and despite the causes of war and the rules we all have to or should live by it is the price we all pay for our Freedoms. Grow up or move out.

[usaprophet]

I don''t know about you, but I''m sick of no-win pseudo-wars, like The War on Drugs and The War on Terrorism. I''m sick of undeclared wars like The War in Iraq and unnecessary and protracted police actions like the one in Korea. I''m sick of income taxes, which are unconstitutional because they are are a direct tax and are not equally apportioned as the Constitution requires. I''m sick of back door national ID cards like The Real ID Act. I''m sick of warrantless domestic spying by the Department of Homeland Insecurity and the loss of my civil liberties as a result of Draconian, fear-based Laws with oxymoronic names like The Patrot Act. I''m sick of secret offshore prisons like the one in Guantanamo, where our government tortures prisoners, who have no right to redress of grievance, or to writ of habeus corpus. I''m also sick of the Federal Reserve (a secret group of private banks) manipulation of our worthless, fiat currency. Do yourself a favor. Support the 2008 candidacy of Dr. Ron Paul for President of The United States. I believe he''s our only hope to restore peace, prosperity and freedom in this country. Presidential candidates with the integrity and bearing the positive message of Dr. Paul only come around only once in a lifetime, if we''re lucky. The cause of freedom is too important to let anything stand in the way of our participation in this 21st Century political revolution.

[tucano2]

"Call it a bananna, if you want"

[bates2006-2009]

I can''t believe that the world is coming to something so small, we have crack, cocaine, and god only knows what other synthetic drugs out there and now everyone wants to speak against a good leader? How many of you didn''t smoke pot (leaf) when you were growing up? If you said you didn''t 99% of you lied. I did, I don''t anymore, but at least I''m honest enough to admit it, I''m a GREAT person a WONDERFUL mom and an even better WIFE. We all make decisions some not so wise, but it''s called experimenting, GROW UP AMERICA!
Julie

[klingon69]

Imagine all the druggies driving under the influence of marijuana. Don''''t we have enough problems with drivers under the influence of alcohol?
Posted by RingADing3 at 04:35 PM : Oct 29, 2007

Drivers under ther influence of alcohol feel that they can drive better and faster. Usually accidents occur at higher rates of speed under alcohol. Marijuana can/does make some people paranoid, and they tend to drive alot slower.

[mocalleo]

At least (R)nold was MAN ENOUGH to admit that he inhaled.

Unlike someone else (D) we all know.

.

Message to Mcvet:

If it''''s OK for liberals to take a "dig" at Bush,
then it''''s OK for conservatives to take a dig" at Clinton.

GET USED TO IT, swastika breath.
Seig Heil, Mcvet

PS.
Next time, take your meds before you get online.

LOL

[sgtrds]

He''s right...pot is not a drug....just a good buzz......

[rowdytexan2]

What a refreshing article...and a seemingly honest perspective.

I have to admit I haven''t followed his political career, but can''t help knowing he''s a politician, and can''t help wondering how badly a presidential campaign would corrupt him.

Can''t help saying either what eye candy he is. :)

[kansas1946]

Paul is given to mulling things over morally. He once was once a pious Lutheran, but now attends a Baptist church. He never travels alone with women, and once even dressed down an aide for using the expression "red-light district" in front of a female colleague.
**************************************
You have got to be frickin'' kidding. "In front of a femal colleague?????" Did he think this "female colleague" was going to swoon and need smelling salts if she heard the words, "red light district."
If I was luke warm on Ron Paul before, this little snippit leaves me ice cold.

[usaprophet]

You get the sense that the country is desperate for someone to show us the way. Not the old way. Not the same way, but a NEW WAY. Think about this for a minute. What if we pulled all of our troops out of South Korea? They''ve been there for 50 years. Tens of thousands of them. What if we quit worrying about Iran, but instead, realized that its having a nuclear weapon will not mean the end of the world? What if we pulled all of our troops out of Iraq, and brought them all home? What if we realistically addressed the National Debt, and paid attention to REALLY DOING SOMETHING about stopping illegal immigration? These are the ideas Republican Presidential candidate, Dr. Ron Paul. He''s a ten term Congressman and a physician who has delivered over 4,000 babies. Ron Paul has been married to the same woman for more than 50 years, which means he doesn''t come to the race with the sort of baggage some of the other candidates for the White House do. Paul is given to mulling things over morally. He once was once a pious Lutheran, but now attends a Baptist church. He never travels alone with women, and once even dressed down an aide for using the expression "red-light district" in front of a female colleague. I support the 2008 candidacy of Congressman, Ron Paul for President of The United States. Candidates with the high level of personal integrity and track record of adherance to The Constitution Ron Paul always demonstrates only come around once in a lifetime, if we''re lucky. Go Ron!

[cfin5]

crzmeat,.....You crack me up. Do you have to stop typing to take a breath of air before your done? Or can you go all the way through your thought? :)

[Krazcarl]

you guys are a joke I hide so that makes it cool tyou think your kids and friends are mentaly challenaged they know and are as secretive as you they think that makes it OK if you hide a great lesson your teaching your children the only one your fooling is yourself and doing a poor job at it never underestimet a child you''ll lose every time .

[jn122736]

"Why don''''''''t you back-benchers get a life instead off telling us what to do?" posted by gkc99

Someones got to tell you what to do, your country is going down the tubes and you Americans don''''t seem to be doing anything about it. Now if what happens to the U.S. wasn''''t going to affect us we wouldn''''t give a rat''''s a-s-s but unfortunately that won''''t be the case.
Posted by erasmus6 at 08:15 PM : Oct 29, 2007
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Re. .%u201D Now if what happens to the U.S. wasn''''t going to affect us we wouldn''''t give a rat''''s a-s-s but unfortunately that won''''t be the case.%u201D
***
You got that right.
Canada, Mexico, indeed all of both north and South American continents has depended on the United States military for protection for that last one hundred years.

I Just wish I could contest the rest of your comment, but I am afraid you may be right.

[usaprophet]

I don''t know about you, but I''m sick of no-win pseudo-wars, like The War on Drugs and The War on Terrorism. I''m sick of undeclared wars like The War in Iraq and unnecessary and protracted police actions like the one in Korea. I''m sick of income taxes, which are unconstitutional because they are are a direct tax and are not equally apportioned as the Constitution requires. I''m sick of back door national ID cards like The Real ID Act. I''m sick of warrantless domestic spying by the Department of Homeland Insecurity and the loss of my civil liberties as a result of Draconian, fear-based Laws with oxymoronic names like The Patrot Act. I''m sick of secret offshore prisons like the one in Guantanamo, where our government tortures prisoners, who have no right to redress of grievance, or to writ of habeus corpus. I''m also sick of the Federal Reserve (a secret group of private banks) manipulation of our worthless, fiat currency. support the 2008 candidacy of Dr. Ron Paul for President of The United States. I believe he''s our only hope to restore peace, prosperity and freedom in this country. Presidential candidates with the integrity and bearing the positive message of Dr. Paul only come around only once in a lifetime, if we''re lucky. The cause of freedom is too important to let anything stand in the way of our participation in this 21st Century political revolution.

[kansas1946]

The biggest influence in your childs life is YOU and if you are drinking and smoking in front of them, then you are being irresponsible
************************
You are completely right. You should be setting a good example in all things. Kindess to others, manners, decency, not using substances as a crutch to get you through life, etc.
But, these things should not be illegal. The illegality of these things are destructive to our society, which your children have to navigate.

[erasmus6]

"Why don''''t you back-benchers get a life instead off telling us what to do?" posted by gkc99

Someones got to tell you what to do, your country is going down the tubes and you Americans don''t seem to be doing anything about it. Now if what happens to the U.S. wasn''t going to affect us we wouldn''t give a rat''s a-s-s but unfortunately that won''t be the case.

[erasmus6]

I did my share of smoking and drinking on weekends, NOT everyday. And I NEVER did it in front of my kids. And when my kids got to the age that when they woke up in the night and we were partying and they started questioning why we were acting different, it stopped. Please don''t tell me that when you smoke and drink you don''t act different, because YOU DO.

There comes a time when you have to grow up and be responsible. I didn''t want my kids to start drinking and smoking because MOMMY and DADDY did it. And when it comes to smoking marijuana, it IS a drug and it DOES cause problems. It damages your lungs and your memory. Why would I want that for my child? When your child grows up and moves out, they can decide for themselves what they are going to do, but if you do it in front of them, then you are influencing them, bigtime. I also quit smoking cigarettes. I did not want them breathing in my smoke. As a child they can not control their world, but as a parent you can.

The biggest influence in your childs life is YOU and if you are drinking and smoking in front of them, then you are being irresponsible.

[linfinster]

Arnie is a toker!! (in sing song, of course!)

..and ttnsly ... Nice Comment!!!!!

[kansas1946]

If it''''s OK for liberals to take a "dig" at Bush,
then it''''s OK for conservatives to take a dig" at Clinton.
************************
Bush is president, Clinton isn''t. Clinton hasn''t been president for seven years. He is gone. He couldn''t run for a third term. He has not been in office since January, 2001.
George Bush is now president. He was elected in November of 2000, and took office in Jan of 2001.
Repeat. Clinton is not president. Bush is.