Profiles in Marijuana Reform: Rick Steves

Comments (23)
July 28, 2008

MPP-TV recently had a chance to sit down with travel guru and author Rick Steves to discuss marijuana policy both here and abroad. Here’s what he had to say…

The opinions expressed below by our viewers and posters do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Marijuana Policy Project. These views are those of the individual authors alone. MPP does not condone or support the illegal use of marijuana. We do encourage open and frank discussion, but if a comment has been posted that is in some way significantly inappropriate, please e-mail us at socialnetwork@mpp.org to report it. Thank you, and we're looking forward to what you think!

23 Comments, Comment or Ping

Jeremy

This is awesome! I love Rick Steves and had no idea he was advocating the repeal of marijuana prohibition, which makes me like him even more. I really hope MPP can find more people like this and make more vids like this. People need to see that people who want to legalize marijuana are not just low-life slobs, but normal, upstanding citizens who are interested in promoting reason rather than fear.

Jul 29th, 2008
Ronald Buckles

Thank you for educating us about how the Europeans view marijuana.

Aug 5th, 2008
AJS420

Exactly, what do people think all cannibas users are raging meniacs???? I don’t get it; it is exactly the opposite in my case. I also have relatives that may have it in Colorado and California legally, that is they pay for the Dr., and the script for various conditions and illnesses. Thanks to Rich Stevens, and all the warriors that won’t give up, this stupid war on cannibas, ………..such a shame, people don’t understand. But, this is a statistic, of AARP members who voted, over 75% over them, over 65, have no problem with any kind of legalization.

Reason over ignorance, and for your information, Ronald, Europeans don’t even view this issue or waste money on it, they have no problem either.

Especially in the Netherlands, where is is not illiegal, and never has been.

Aug 28th, 2008
Rob Crowley

I knew Rick Steves was a good guy. This man has traveled and seen the world and is a good person and a good father.

Thanks Rick for speaking out!

Aug 29th, 2008
Domingo A Torres

Frankly I think that Rick Steves makes good intellectual common sense. He speaks the truth that is within my heart about my experience with Marijuana and the conclusion I have come to decide about the plant. The so called upright Americans have always seem to find a way towards the discrimination of others in error, as they did with not only the blacks, but every other ethnic group that has become a part of its nation. Well Marijuana user have always been here, and they will always be here and every where else, even if Marijuana is never legalized. The powers that be are extremely wrong about this none issue, they just made it one so they can use Marijuana as a scapegoat for tracking the more dangerous drugs.

The legislators and the DEA have no right to make illegal what God has made to be use by man wisely and responsibly. I must correct one thing that Steve said though. Marijuana has been named the gate way drug, however the term is a misleading one, and by that I mean that Marijuana does not open the flood gates to desiring one to use other harmful drugs. The one who does this to an individual are the street drug pushers and the DEA. Thats why they call them drug pushers, because since they handle the sales of Marijuana when they have it in their possession, they will sell it to you, without mentioning anything else and the DEA have given them status, but if you are a novice at Marijuana and you go to them on a day that all they have are dangerous drugs, they will talk you into buying just that …. a dangerous drug. This is because their only intention is to get you addicted so they can get you to come back for more and more. After that they will start selling you bogus drugs, to cover their loses, that they had else where.

Sep 7th, 2008
Jen Salome

Thanks for speaking common sense. You rock!

Sep 12th, 2008
Trisha

THE TIME HAS COME.. I am now 61 yrs. old and have smoked Marijuana for 35 years. As a 2x Cancer survivor with anxiety..it is a necessity in my life and
certainly has been kept illegal by lobbiests from the Alcohol companies. MJ does not make one violent, does not cause cancer, yet Alcohol and Tobacco remain legal. Why…Alcohol companies make too much money. Wake up.. we can regulate and collect tax on Marijuana, save so much money on Police and Drug Agents. we who have succeeded in life should speak out.. we are not low lifes.. most of us are just regular people..those looking for relief from stress…. IT IS TIME..
Trisha+

Sep 17th, 2008
Nick

Well we all know how enjoyable smoking is… social giddies and te he ta ha’s but

‘”if a president smoked a joint and actually thought of what the nation really needed he/she would listen to the cries of our country and quit bitchin about the loud music of our neighboring countries” per say… and any way I could run a country it’s not hard when you actually listen to the people and not the loud mouthed rich @ss holes that are sinking our country. Being rich doesn’t make you an @ss hole its the “ones” the dickheads of society I can walk into a atmosphere totaly not of my own and get along with whom ever is there. We need a “”"REAL”"”" down to earth president.. ME seroiusly! think about it. ————-~`
———-~`

Sep 23rd, 2008
Nick

NICK C. 1 513 546 3377 give me a ring sometime 17 cincinnati ohio yo! Im the next president

Sep 23rd, 2008
sioux

What would you do to save your child’s life?
Thank you for helping…

Oct 2nd, 2008
Bob Hope

Folks, just ignore the comment from “SIOUX” about saving his child… The CIA and FBI have infiltrated society in every interest imaginable. They read forums and add dumb comments.

Any informed citizen knows marijuana poses no dangers by consenting responsible adults, unlike alchohol and cigaretts.

Oct 2nd, 2008
jim

this is true only for certain area’s of Europe , England and France both arrest and sent people to prison in fact in England there’s not even medicinal use of cannabis without prison sentence’s

its time for global legalization!!

Oct 4th, 2008
Alexander Supertramp

actually, I think Sioux is right… rick steves is helping by making a great argument about what we should do to keep our children safe. I’d rather my child (when he gets to a certain age) go to a legal distributor where he knows what he’s getting and knows he won’t get arrested.
Now, if someone, anyone, wants to buy cannabis, they have to make a leap of faith if they know no one that sells. In that you have 1) the risk of getting some incredibly high grade stuff that you’re not ready for, and 2) the risk of following your lead to a seller who is actually an undercover narc officer; and beyond that even if you get it with no problem, there is always a risk of arrest. I as well as many others (too many others) know the detriment of having an arrest on your record, a detriment far worse than any incurred by cannabis.
So, Sioux, I hope you were serious, because you’re right, rick steves as well as all the others, fighting the good fight, are doing exactly what is necessary to keep our children safe.

Oct 7th, 2008
isak

sorry to say he has not got all the facts right about europe, we got diffrent laws in different countrys all over the EU, in sweden where i live for exampel its even iiligal to be high on pot. you have to pay fines and if your find with more then 15 metric grams in your pocket or in your home, you may go to prison. The laws in sweden are strongly influenced by the american “war on drugs” laws, so plz change them and the legislators here may come around aswell.

greetings from sweden.

Oct 17th, 2008
Greg

Rick is great! (Thelonious Monk is cool, too.)

Oct 23rd, 2008
rage

Good hit! After all, I know hundreds of idiots who are stone cold sober, who have never smoked anything, nor drank anything stronger than a coke. And, thier self-riuned lives totally suck, if for no other reason than the hypocrisy of their sanctimony. Amerika ought to be sick of being a bunch of ’shrooms, ever kept in the dark and fed propaganda. It’s time to free our minds!

Dec 15th, 2008
MELO MALO PAULINO

VOICES OF TRUTH WILL ALWAYS SPEAK OUT.
YOU HAVE MY SUPPORT!

Feb 1st, 2009
james squatt

I am all for legalizing pot but this guy loses all credibility for me with 1 stupid false sentence. “You can’t legislate morality” Who ever coined this phrase is an idiot. Man must legislate morality! Our laws must and do say “Do not kill, steal, rape etc”. Edit out that line and this guy might get through to the open minded conservatives sitting the fence. But when I here a guy open with a line like that, he might as well say the moon is made out of green cheese.

J. Squatt

Feb 15th, 2009
Thomas O'Brien

Yeah Yeah Yeah! I am so happy to see Rick Steves speaking up on marijuana. He knows what he is saying. I always had a difficult time understanding the situation in my beloved Ireland. After watching a travel documentary, He gave me an excellant understanding of the situation. I pray that others will see and come forward with their truth on the benefits of marijuana legalization reform. Rick is a well respected family man, world traveler, ambassador of world peace. Come on People, Smile on your Brother, Everyone come together, lets legalize marijuana right now.Love Peace Tom OB.

Feb 16th, 2009
Bryan

This is a response to Mr James Squatt.

Obviously you have no understanding of what the definition of “Morality” is.

Government must legistlate against actions that are a result of what we as a society have deemed immorral. So you see, you can not legislate Morality itself.

The law does not state or prevent you from acting imoral, i.e. Rape, Murder, Steal, etc… They only punish you if you do these immoral things. There is no law that says Killing is imoral, and you can not kill. The law says if you commit murder, you will be penalised because it is imoral.

Your head is made out of green cheese!

Mar 24th, 2009
J.M

It only makes good political sense to look at what another country or number of countrys has done when it comes to these kinds of laws and see how they turned out. If it worked there why won’t it work here? For some reason Canada and the U.S seem to ignore these kinds of figures and numbers and make “educated guesses” at what could happen…. yikes. I think it was the Netherlands that almost had to close down one of their jails because they didn’t have enough people being arrested!

Oct 11th, 2009
BlackDog

Legalize marijuana. Hire teachers not prison gaurds.

Oct 27th, 2009
Tom

Rick Steves is great. Really cool interview.

Nov 4th, 2009

Profiles in Marijuana Reform: Rick Steves

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