Comments:American swimmer Michael Phelps laments "bad judgment" in marijuana controversy

Marijuana is only a nickname for cannabis, and brings a negative connotation. I think Wikinews should set itself apart from other news outlets and use the correct name for the plant. It's hard I know. Every health class I've ever had has strictly used "marijuana" in the textbooks and in discussion. I wonder why? 24.30.16.34 15:37, 2 February 2009 (UTC)
 * Yes, every news source quoted at the foot of this article uses the word marijuana. I think our goal - and that of other news sources - is to use terms everybody understands without resorting to slang. Marijuana fits with this - understood more than cannabis, not slang like pot. Redvers (talk) 16:15, 2 February 2009 (UTC)
 * Without digging into the origins of the term marijuana, I cannot say if it is a nickname, or a name from another culture/language. Cannabis is very widely known, and is actually the name of the plant; I feel this would have been the more appropriate term to use unless marijuana actually means cannabis dried and ready for consumption. --Brian McNeil / talk 16:44, 2 February 2009 (UTC)
 * Wikipedia's attitude to this is interesting and is almost exactly as you describe. Their article on Cannabis is specifically about the plant, which has other uses and a history separate from the drug. Marijuana is a redirect to Cannabis (drug), an article specifically about the, er, medicinal uses of the plant. So marijuana is considered by Wikipedia to be the prepared form of the cannabis plant. I don't advocate us following their choices in things per se, but this does seem to be a useful compromise to avoid confusion. And, as I say, all the sources for the article use the word marijuana rather than cannabis. Redvers (talk) 16:55, 2 February 2009 (UTC)
 * Marijuana is a better use since it also indicates the form in which Phelps is alleged to have consumed cannabis. What negative connotation does marijuana have that cannabis doesn't have??? Many people I know have positive connotations with marijuana. --SVTCobra 17:07, 2 February 2009 (UTC)
 * Marijuana is defined as cannabis, yet no article I've read on Phelp's obvious use chooses to use the word. Obviously, it's not incorrect to use the term marijuana, but I'm just surprised. Cured and dried marijuana flowers are the same as cured and dried cannabis flowers. Maybe people know what marijuana is, but don't know what it is: cannabis. As for the negative connotation, I guess it's subjective.24.30.16.34 17:19, 2 February 2009 (UTC)
 * Marijuana in my understanding is the flowering tops of male and female cannabis plants. Hashish, for distinction, is made from the trichomes of cannabis plants. --SVTCobra 17:28, 2 February 2009 (UTC)
 * Marijuana is a term which I believe is more prevalent in the US. It is cannabis which is ready to be smoked. Cannabis buds or leaves cannot be removed from a plant and immediately smoked, they must first be dried (Don't try and do it in the oven kids, you'll end up with something that makes you feel you're sucking on the tailpipe of a car without a catalytic converter and, as a consequence, you'll be coughing up a lung). Hashish is a resin produced by processing cannabis plants, weight-for-weight it pretty much has the same potency as the plant but has the advantage that it is more dense and thus less bulky than unprocessed plant material - very useful for smugglers, plus it doesn't have a shelf life. --Brian McNeil / talk 19:19, 2 February 2009 (UTC)

He can smoke as much weed as he wants.

Big deal
It bothers me that the U.S. wastes so much time and effort on propagandizing something like this, despite the fact that most people are doing it regardless of its legal status, and now prominent media figures feel they have some moral duty to issue a public apology when they have a "lapse in judgment." I honestly doubt Phelps agrees with U.S. policies on recreational drug-use, and I'm pretty sure he's going to continue using marijuana despite this controversy. Why should anybody care? If the guy lived in Canada, then this wouldn't even be newsworthy. 74.242.119.77 23:34, 2 February 2009 (UTC)


 * This happens no matter what the 'lapse' is for public figures. It could be an extra-marital affair (which is legal) or a drunk-driving incident (illegal and unfortunately too common). It even happens if they say or do something that is less than politically correct (see Prince Harry. And it is not isolated to the US. It used to be you had to live in a small town to know "everything about everyone" but thanks to the internet it is going global. He was stupid to do it in front of people he didn't know well enough to trust they wouldn't take pictures and publicize them. --SVTCobra 23:53, 2 February 2009 (UTC)

As a Marijuana prescribed patient in CA
As a Marijuana prescribed patient in CA I truely see the benifit of it medically. Also I have driven drunk and driven stoned. I have much more control after a few bowls in an hour than a few shots. I can hit the gas and brake just fine. I know what is around me and am aware of others I can feed my self and I can go to the bathroom by my self with out falling over. Being stoned is No where close to being Drunk

Personally I dont see the big deal other than it makes you cough hard(when you got the good stuff),which can cause internal damage. If people in america especially but more over the world would lighten up and relize what really is bad and not then we might be able to move together as a society. NO ONE HAS O.D.ed FROM WEED......EVER!!!!!!!!!EVER!!!!!!!!! I have tried and so have millions of others. In fact 20,000,000 people try marijuana every year, Yes that is 20 million, 7 zero's.

I feel that in life children have roll models all the time pick a new one.He is human and makes mistakes why judge and you people act as though you are perfect.Life tells us we are supposed to love our children,love our parents,but when our children are born we dont even know them.They have'nt a character yet,is this not why parents kill thier kids and vise versa!Frankly although i am niether black or white i am glad to see the white boy got caught.Mind you i wish him no harm it is always good to have a little gossip.I only hope Obama is no where near a camera phone,camcorder,Monica,or any other equipment that might incriminate him. small>—Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.84.18.152 (talk) 09:11, 8 February 2009 (UTC)