Readers React: Stoned runner fits a stereotype, does a disservice to marijuana activists

To the editor: The article about the 420 Games race champion aiming to blunt the stigma of marijuana users as lazy might have been more appropriate for High Times magazine. Portraying Chris Barnicle as some sort of stoner athlete crusader, who finished last in the Olympic Marathon Trials in Los Angeles on Feb. 13, was pathetic. (“‘The World’s Fastest Stoner’ wants to one day run a four-minute mile stoned,” April 20)

Describing how his life dovetails into the stoner image — he travels around in his van with his dog Scooby Doo, and he’d most recently worked as a delivery man bringing marijuana samples to dispensaries — highlights the problems that a recent UC Davis marijuana study noted about this lifestyle.

The study found that “people who smoked cannabis four or five days a week over many years ended up in a lower social class than their parents, with lower-paying, less skilled and less prestigious jobs than those who were not regular cannabis smokers.”

The UC Davis research on the negative impact of the regular use of marijuana and Barnicle’s life story should be reason enough to vote against a ballot initiative that would legalize the recreational use of marijuana in California.

Glenn Bozar, Upland

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To the editor: Cannabis activism?

This story highlights a selfish and self-centered individual aiming to show pot users aren’t lazy. I really don’t care if he smokes pot and then runs a race; he should just keep his van off the road, where innocent people are at risk when he drives under the influence.

As an important journalistic medium, The Times should feature stories of people whose activism contributes to the wellness of our community.

Joanne Zovak, Temple City

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