Comic Zach Galifianakis lit up what was supposedly an actual joint while he was on the Bill Maher show over the weekend. Zach and the panel were discussing Prop 19, which essentially legalizes marijuana in California and is up for vote tomorrow. To make his pro Prop-19 point, Zach pulled a joint out of his jacket and fired it up. Considering that they were in California, I’m sure he was violating all sorts of smoking bans. Smoke offends me in a way that drug use does not. I would vote “yes” on this measure if I was a resident of California, having skimmed the details. As long as people aren’t driving and aren’t in a closed public place while they’re smoking I have no problem with it. I don’t see how so many prescription drugs are legal but marijuana is not. (Outside of California.) Here’s E! Online’s coverage:
Love ’em or leave ’em, Zach (and host Bill Maher) are longtime proponents of weed. So what better time and place to light up a joint than during the Real Time round table discussing this week’s vote in California to decriminalize the drug.
“It’s a tricky thing politically to jump on that bandwagon,” The Hangover star mused of the legalization of pot before pulling the marijuana out of his sport coat and puffing away. “Because I think that maybe people still see it as taboo.”
The risky stunt was met with lots of laughs from the panel, but surprisingly, the biggest and most amused response came from Conservative panel guest Margaret Hoover. The reporter actually grabbed the blunt from the funnyman, sniffed it for herself, checking that it was the real deal, then passed it back across the table, all the while laughing hysterically.
Californians will have to wait until Tuesday’s election to see in Galifianakis’ Proposition 19 ploy was successful—or not, depending on which side of the debate you fall on.
[From E! Online]
I like Zach Galifinakis while he’s playing a character, but I tried to watch one of his standup routines on Netflix on demand and found that his humor fell completely flat for me. He just wasn’t funny and seemed kind of dull to me. Maybe you need to be high to really get the guy. As an actor I like him, though. Much of that is due to the sheer number of times I’ve watched G Force. (I have a six year old!)
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amazing lol
I can’t watch the vid right now, but I wanna do rude things to Zach. Ahhh! Yum. As for the marijuana issue… well, I would vote no, probably, just because I think there’s already enough questionable stuff that’s already legal, and really, being illegal doesn’t deter everyone. But, that said, I wouldn’t be upset or anything if it got through, so long as the conditions are reasonable, which they seem to be.
I heard it was nothing more than a rolled up cigarette.
I have mixed feelings on weed. I guess because I have seen so many teenagers do it. People I went to high school with, siblings, and parents. I am not sure I am in favor of it. I never like or liked when any of those people did it. I really dislike it and I hate the smell of it. I guess I can put it in the same category as drinking. I drink, not like a wino or anything, but I occasionally have a cocktail or whatever they mixed up with fruit punch on Saturday. IDK. Not sure…if it was handled properly I wouldn’t care.
I didn’t know Zach did stand up. I only like his movies. He was sooo amazing in The Hangover and he is funny on Bored To Death on HBO. I just love that guy.
I don’t like breathing secondhand tobacco smoke. Now do we have to tolerate marijuana too?
Oh please Betty White was on Letterman and she did a line off his desk and then danced for us all.
It was beautiful and haunting. I am forever changed.
Marijuana is healthier than tobacco. It doesn’t have all the added chemicals like cigarettes have. I think the people who are opposed to making it legal are the ones who know nothing about it. Even if you don’t smoke, do a little research before forming an opinion on it.
Pot is a billion dollar industry in B.C. Probably closer to 2 billion by now. If California legalizes pot, it will cut the B.C. bud business off at the knees. Which means (hopefully)gangs that trade pot for coke or guns are gonna be broke. Pot is so much a part of B.C. that places like the Kootenays (huge grow area) are looking at financial ruin if Calif. legalizes it. Nobody questions it anymore in that area, people pay cash for cars, make monthly house payments in cash, etc. New restaurants/motels have opened in that area, and they are thriving. For now. The price of pot has already dropped in Calif (I believe it was a Chicago area news program that had the stats.) and it’s starting to go down here in B.C. They need to legalize and sell it to consenting adults, liquor store style. My province needs the money, and it’s not like this stuff is going to go away.
@CathyT as a pot smoker with a fair amount of pot smoking friends, it’s not really something you do around people who are uncomfortable with it. In my experience, when someone needs a cigarette, they need it, and they’ll blow the smoke in your face without really realizing it. Most who smoke the herb tend to do it at least somewhat out of the way as to not disturb others. At least me and my friends do. I understand that not everyone likes pot or gets it. Substance use and abuse is a lot like milk. Some people like skim (cigarettes and alcohol, the arbitrarily “tolerated” drugs), some people like 2% (we’ve moved onto weed, maybe occassional shrooms or other natural/relatively harmless intoxicant), and some people like whole milk (ecstacy, coke, ketamine, give me everything and I’ll try it). I like to think I’m a 2%-er, and I think in the grand scheme of things, marijuana is far less harmful than similar use of tobacco products and alcohol consumption. And I know people fear pot heads driving high, and I hate saying this because it sounds so bad but….driving while high is not nearly to the level of impairment as driving while drunk. High drivers are paranoid, naturally cautious and overly vigilante. You may get someone who’s taking a long time to turn out of Taco Bell, but you’re not gonna get someone plowing through store fronts or running over little girls on bikes. I don’t advocate driving under the influence of anything – drugs, alcohol, sleep aids, or lack of sleep can all impair your ability to make quick decisions. But we can’t use the second hand smoke or driving excuse, because while it might not be polite to smoke around people who don’t, and it’s clearly dangerous to drive drunk, that doesn’t stop the government from regulating and taxing our consumption of tobacco and booze. Why is pot considered so much worse when, really, it’s not?
i was previously for it but am now SUPER for Prop 19 after reading the NAACP’s press release on arrest disparities.
here’s a quick summary:
http://www.drugpolicy.org/news/pressroom/pressrelease/pr102110.cfm
(info summary is at the bottom of the page)
Zach gives off a Mike Myers “I’m incredibly impressed with myself and aren’t I daring” vibe that will not wear well.
legalize it! why is alcohol legal, but i cant smoke a joint? all it is is a plant! nothing added or taken away! its not made in a bathtub, its not snorted, its not addicting or lethal in large doses. people need to eduacate themselves instead of regurgitating what you learned in D.A.R.E. classes..
When did CB start doing polls? Been gone too long.
Though I don’t partake of the contraband myself, I’m tired of it being conveniently lumped in the same category as heroine and cocaine. I mean who has ever heard of a “weed whore”? I think that dollars are better allocated elsewhere than having law enforcement resources used for something that is largely innocuous while they need to be out chasing rapists. Plus, if they legalize it the government can tax the shit out of it. IMO, everyone wins.
RobinN, I have to agree. I mean, how shocking. A fat sloppy guy who smokes pot. Next you’re going to tell me he’s into internet porn. What an original.
@ KJ & KWOWW —
I concur.
RobN and OtherChris – word! I don’t live in California and honestly don’t care one way or another if Prop 19 is/isn’t passed. But Zach smoking up on stage is just him trying to be cool and add to his slacker/stoner credentials. Dude: we get it. You’re oh-so-not-mainstream-or-uptight. Now stop showing off!
OHHH, Mr. Morality???????
legalize it and tax it! i love zach more everyday 🙂
Well said KJ.
I really find Zach G. hilarious especially some of the Netflix specials. I guess its easy to see the whole “slacker/stoner” thing as an act but I saw him do stand-up early on and he was the same way, before he made it big. His fame has gone off the charts but he seems to have stayed true to himself: mad props.
Living the high life in Denver!
The “War on Weed” costs our nation $42 BILLION A YEAR. That’s enough to money WASTED to employ a million teachers annually. (That’s to say nothing of the rest of the ill-conceived “War on Drugs”.)
But hell, our moral convictions will keep America warm at night well into the 21rst Century. Who needs book-learnin’ when you’ve got bible-thumpin’? Right?
i am a resident of california and i voted yes on 19 couple weeks ago before mailing in my ballot.
I lived in AK when it was legal for awhile. I don’t remember why they changed it. The only issue I had with it was that being around people smoking pot I got bad migraines (I also get them from perfume and cologne).
I don’t see why they don’t just legalize it. Pretty much can get a medical marijuana card these days, so what’s the point of it being illegal?
Missy A. Im a Bible thumper and Pro Prop 19. Lets not assume people against Prop 19 are right wing and/or Bible thumpers. People who have educated themselves on the proposition look at it from economic position and it just makes sense to regulate and tax it.
This guy really knows how to make his point. I hope this passes in Cali. And nationally. It is a far superior way for many people to “recreate” and also to manage their health care. HOPE IT PASSES!!!!!
KJ, while I agree with much of what you write, I don’t agree with this:
“driving while high is not nearly to the level of impairment as driving while drunk. High drivers are paranoid, naturally cautious and overly vigilante.”
Utter bs, and yes I do partake, have so for many years. I would never drive under the influence, not would I encourage anyone to do so. Laws relaxed, yes, legalized no.
I live in Cali, and I hope Prop 19 passes. It’s about time people got over the whole pot thing. I know a very ill friend who uses it after chemo. It’s really no big deal anymore. More people die from alcohol than pot.
ITA, Daisy. I never drive high. People who think pot doesn’t affect their driving are…high. Stoked to vote tomorrow on 19. But Obama admin will prob do what they can to make sure our state doesn’t get to actually implement it. We’ve been here before just a few years ago. That’s my fear anyway. Won’t stop me from voting. Or smoking. And Zach’s stand-up? Sure, not for everyone, but I’ve seen him perform a handful of times and he always reduces me to tears. (he’s my #3 fave after Cross and Tomkins)
LEGALIZE IT!
i wonder what percentage of cail’s over-crowded jails is filled with people busted for weed? let these people out to make room for REAL public threats, like lindsay lohan.
it would be a step in the right direction for california’s mockery of a justice system if the people who actually deserve jail time started serving their full sentences.
jail would be a much better deterrent if it lasted for more than 4 hours….
So funny!!!
I agree with regulating marijuana for profit — which will probably be done eventually– but people who say it’s healthier than cigarette’s don’t know what they’re talking about.
i used to smoke pot for many years.but i no longer indulge,and no matter what anybody says it all comes down to money.would the government make more money if it was legal or illegal.so once they the (government)runs the numbers.then we will all know..until then if you smoke keep on smokin and if not,well then don’t…
i can’t stand bill maher. Zack has REALLYY lowered his standards if he is on that show. who cares about the joint?
KJ, go talk to a neurologist some time about driving while impaired by marijuana, or about the long-term effects that are nearly as bad as dememtia, but starting to show much earlier.
While I’m all for legalizing, to stop people profiting from it the way they do know, I’d like to see all substances come with explicit warning labels, so that no one can claim they didn’t know.
@LadyD you r so right about the situation in BC everything will be so much better if CA will legalize weed BC might even follow suite but it would be hard with the Harper government
if more people smoked weed and drank less alcohol the world would be a safer place. Legalise it and tax it and maybe you Califonians can receive a tax refund next year?
Marijuana/hemp was legal in the US until prohibition. Most of our founding fathers even grew hemp as a cash crop. When alcohol was outlawed, so was the weed. When prohibition was turned over, the timber industry went into overdrive, spending millions of 1930s dollars to kill their main competition.
If a logging company clear-cuts an acre of trees, it takes a minimum of 20 years to grow them back. Thats not even old growth, that’s what your kid planted in the back yard for earth day. Imagine how much hemp could be grown on that same acre over 20 years.
All that aside, people do not get high and look for a fight. They do not smoke some bud and damage property or beat their family.
You don’t see everyone walking down the street dranking a foty, they’re not going to be smoking a joint, blowing smoke in your face either. I’m guessing over time most people would choose to eat it anyways. Makes delicious ice cream and cookies.
I don’t know about mj versus tobacco. I DO know people who smoke a pack of cigs a day, I know of no one who smokes 20 joints. If you got a health argument, bring math and facts, plus see above.
Last, California is a stare in financial peril. Marijuana could be a major tax benefit, as well as save money clearing out the court system and jails. This is a state with a DNA backlog on rape kits causing more than a six week wait period.
Sorry about the wall of words, this law is long overdue.
The bar has been set. I’m tipping Racoon McPantless will have to prove how “hardcore” she is at her next TV interview by pulling out a syringe and hitting up some smack…..in her neck!
bereal & Nanea: neither of you know what you are talking about. Your comments are silly and ignorant. Obviously you know nothing about marijuana.
Legalize it, and we will advertise it.
…also, I’ve been a Zach fan since his VH1 show, but I can see not liking his particular sense of humor. It’s just that all of my friends have the exact same one.
hey we can now kill each legally haha
Our tax money goes to paying for large amounts of non-violent offenders for long terms while the serial rapist is paroled again.
We cheat a struggling farming industry out of millions of dollars of profit by outlawing hemp growth. That’s why marijuana itself is illegal.
The US had funded studies into the effects of pot; it actually has anti-cancer properties; not a huge amount, but discernible, which could be potentially interesting.
Smoking pot heavily for years does nowhere near the damage of smoking cigs; you get some short term irritation, but that goes away after a few hours. I’m sure it’s not awesome for you, but in moderation?
Some new research is coming out about how people with Crohn’s disease and other digestive ailments MAY be suffering from a shortage of natural canniboids in their gut, which can be fixed by smoking weed. Not to mention easing Glaucoma, cancer, AIDS and numerous other patients’ pain.
And remember, if it is legalized, it can be taxed. Billions. It wouldn’t get us out of the deficit, but it’d help.
Not to mention we will have a little more control over quality, price, and safety of the market, which is important; especially for people who truly use it medicinally. Trust me, they’re out there, and these are people you’d NEVER suspect, that are otherwise law-abiding, contributing members of society. If we can make a safe way for them to get their medicine, then the horrible side of the underworld would be greatly reduced.
(Anything I said can be verified via multiple sources from decent journals around the webs.)
Why it’s illegal and alcohol is not is beyond me. This is nothing more than a long prohibition, and the tide is finally turning. It WILL be legalized for at least medicinal purposes almost everywhere within the next five years.
Personally, I’m more nervous about high fructose corn syrup. For real.
Ummmmmmm…when people say “Legalize It”, no one is saying, “…and totally drive!” If they are, they must be high. I do not have the judicial answers, but I do know this…it’s coming one way or another.
saw this on tv it was so awesome. Marijuana should be legal