Usain Joint

Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt of Jamaica told the German newspaper Bild that when he was younger he tried marijuana. The full quote is this "In Jamaica, you learn as a child how to roll a joint. Everyone here has tried it. I did too -- but I was real young then. My family and my friends don't smoke and I don't hang out any longer with people who smoke." In his home country of Jamaica marijuana use is illegal but there have been several movements to decriminalize it. Aside from Cool Runnings, Jamaica's biggest tie to pop-culture is undoubtedly Bob Marley. As many know Bob Marley was an avid marijuana user and became a cultural icon, in part, because of it. Unfortunately many people then associate the Jamaican people with that type of lifestyle. Although some people in Jamaica, as with any country, are into that lifestyle, it is understandable that some people would find what Usain Bolt said of Jamaican culture a bit troubling. However there is no real problem with what Bolt said. He admitted to being young and curious. Aside from those admissions nothing of substance was said. Being an Olympic athlete he was tested regularly and never failed a test. Unlike the pictures of Michael Phelps hitting a bong, this quote is about past events and Bolt even admitted that he no longer associates with that type of person. Therefore Bolt has said or done nothing wrong. The only gripe here is that which was said about Jamaican culture which may or may not hold some truth.