Millions of children who grew up in the 80s know him as the guy who said This is your brain on drugs.
People see him on the street and still call him egg guy.
This week, actor John Roselius cast his vote to legalize marijuana in California, and admitted to using the drug in the past during a stint in the Marines. He also revealed anti-pot activists underpaid him for the seminal commercial.
Im 100 percent behind legalizing it, are you kidding? Roselius told Colorado publication The Rooster Thursday. Its healthier than alcohol. And the violence is 99 percent down from alcohol.
Anywhere from 51 to 60 percent of California voters support the widely endorsed Proposition 64, which legalizes personal pot possession, gardening, and gifting, starting 12:01 a.m. Nov. 9. By January 1, 2018, any adult 21 or over who shows ID could walk into licensed stores and buy the botanical drug. Early voting has begun and the deadline to register to vote is Monday, Oct. 24.
California is one of five states voting on legalization this year, amid a historic reversal of the nations 45 year-old war on drugs. Sixty percent of Americans support legalization, Gallup reports. Thirty-five states have medical pot laws and four states and Washington DC have legalized cannabis for adult use. Pot arrests have dropped by roughly 85 percent in those jurisdictions. Meanwhile, 700,000 Americans will be arrested each year for pot, which the federal government deems as dangerous as heroin and LSD. California arrests about 20,000 citizens for pot each year.
Back in the 80s, Roselius already had tons of experience smoking pot in the Marines. It was the most relaxed I ever was, he said.
The Partnership for a Drug Free America paid the aspiring actor just $360 for being the face of the this is your brain on drugs campaign. Roselius said The Partnership never paid him his royalties for the ads incessant rotation. Theyre dishonest, he told The Rooster.
Roselius also said he was addicted to alcohol at the time of making the anti-drug commercial. Alcohol-related illnesses kill 88,000 Americans each year. Tobacco related deaths total nearly 600,000 Americans per year. Roselius says hes been sober for 28 years.
By contrast, cannabis has no lethal overdose, and numerous longitudinal studies show long-term cannabis users to be healthy.
A U.S.-funded study of nearly 1,000 New Zealanders tracked over 40 years, found people with nearly 20 years of consistent pot smoking did not show any signs of a decline in lung function, high blood pressure, diabetes, or any other deterioration of physical health.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker
Full Article: ‘This Is Your Brain On Drugs’ Actor Votes ‘Yes’ On Pot Legalization
Author: David Downs
Contact: SFGate
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Website: SFGate
