Iditarod Dogs Marijuana Mushers

[The Straight Story]

Iditarod Dogs Marijuana Mushers

Now even Iditarod dog racers (a.ka. mushers) will be subject to drug testing. Three-time champ Lance Mackey - a throat cancer survivor who smokes marijuana - appears to be the target of the new regs.

"It's a dog race, not a human race," he says about the 10-day, 1,100-mile Alaskan competition. "It isn't the reason I've won three years in a row."

Lance MackeyMackey, however, does admit that pot helps him stay awake and focused during the arduous trek.

"I think it's a little bit ridiculous," maintains Mackey, who lives near Fairbanks. "The Alaska lifestyle you can do just about anything you want if you're not bothering anybody. You have a little more freedom in this state and smoking pot is kind of a common thing here in Alaska."

He believes that non-puffing rival mushers are behind the drug ban: "People are just jealous of what I've accomplished."

http://www.celebstoner.com/200912083342/sports/sporting-highs/iditarod-dogs-marijuana-mushers.html

[Ken Burch]

1. Drug testing the mushers is ridiculous.

Then again, Alaska is one of the last bastions of the hardcore "drug warrior" types so I'm not surprised. We've got a lot of D.A.R.E. groupies here(that's the group that encourages kids to narc out their parents over a joint.) and, of course, we're the home of the "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" episode.

[Howler]

2. Snort!!!!!!

Well.... It is a short growing season there in Alaska.

[Ken Burch]

6. I think they harvested the last of the Matanuska Thunderfuck in September or so.

n/t.

[Howler]

20. HAHAhahaha!!!!!!!!1N/T

N/T

[Blue_In_AK]

5. Have you ever heard of anything so stupid??!

I hope he kicks ALL their asses.

[undeterred]

3. Oh, I thought this meant they were testing the dogs.

Mine denies he's ever gotten high, but he acts kind of high naturally so its hard to tell.

[Ken Burch]

9. Has he started wearing a tie-dye bandanna?

n/t.

[undeterred]

10. Does this count?

[Ken Burch]

11. Nothing to worry about. He's clean.

Might be holding, but he's not on the stuff. And it was just oregano-flavored kibble, man.

[havocmom]

15. Is he one of the dogs at Santa & His Old Lady Commune?

Dude, where's my bone?

[Ken Burch]

16. I thought that was called "The Elf Farm".

n/t.

[Howler]

21. OH Man!!!!

Love the Pic!!!!!! LOL!!!!!

[havocmom]

13. My hound is always cruisin for munchies

Should I worry?

[WillyT]

23. LOL !!!

:applause:

:hi:

[havocmom]

24. Hey there, WillyT! Long time, no cross paths

And as weird as it has been around here, I need to cross paths with well balanced DUers more often! :hug:

[WillyT]

25. Hey You !!!

:loveya:

:hi:

[Blue_In_AK]

4. I have to admit, I'm a huge fan of Lance Mackey,

even though I know dog mushing is considered politically incorrect by certain DUers.

For people unfamiliar with the remarkable Lance (who is ever so much cooler than that other Lance), here's a nice write-up:

http://kit-dogdaze.blogspot.com/2009/03/lance-mackeys-story.html

His website is here: http://www.mackeyscomebackkennel.com/

We spent a while talking with Lance last March out in Nome at the finish of the Iditarod. He's such a nice, down-to-earth guy, no pretensions at all. We always admired him as a musher, but we like him even more after spending some time with him.

[walldude]

7. I heard an ad yesterday for at home drug testing...

So parents who are too lazy to be involved in their kids lives can nail them at home. This is getting out of hand. What's funny is on one side you have all these clinics popping up where they have a doctor onsite and you can get your medical marijuana prescription for $200, on the other you have all this drug testing and the war on drugs. Seems kinda stupid to a person with a brain.

[rd_kent]

8. Why test for any drug that is not "performance enhancing"?

I mean, if it doesnt give you some kind of competitive edge, then why care if someone uses it (any drug, not just pot)?

[HuckleB]

12. That would probably be too logical.

[Ken Burch]

14. Actually, pot would make you LESS focused on winning

"Hey like....have you ever really LOOKED at the snow? each flake is TOTALLY different..."

[amerikat]

17. What a coincedence......I just saw a friends pictures from last years

Iditarod. There were many pictures of him and she talked about his battle with cancer.
I can't wait to send her the link. She's dating a guy from Wasilla. I guess they don't
have medical marijuana in Alaska.

[Blue_In_AK]

18. Yes, we do have medical marijuana in Alaska

and up until a little while ago you could possess up to an ounce for personal use with no penalty at all, even if you weren't a medical user. I think now it's just a Class B misdemeanor, and the police don't even bother with it unless it's found in conjunction with another crime or unless they think someone is dealing.

Medical marijuana has been legal here for about 10 years. That's what makes Lance's situation even more ridiculous.

Incidentally, I have photos from last year's Iditarod, too, if you're interested, here: http://www.northernvisions.smugmug.com/Sports

[Union Yes]

19. Smoking pot is proven to at least double the speed of a dogsled. Like a turbo charger.

[divineorder]

22. Given the conditions it would seem to me that

this sport would pretty much allow you anything that gets you to the finish line mentally intact. It's cold and probably very bleak out there, with few distractions to keep you mentally alert, so why not mush buzzed? As long as you obey the rules and take care of your dogs, it shouldn't be a problem.

I bet in the real old days when people did this as a way of living, people probably took just about every patent medicine, whiskey, and native concoction that would keep them warm, relaxed, and alert when needed. If it was incompatible with making it to your goal, the cost was on the user who was found next spring in a melted snowbank or whatever.

More than likely it was prospect of sponsors that forced the hand of the sport. The TV and soda and other sponsors can't have someone win who's buzzed and might say or do something they can't explain away.

[havocmom]

26. Yeah, but wouldn't that involve the promise of cookies at the end

Would the musher pull and the dogs ride, or does one let the dogs smoke too?

On Sparky, on Fido, on Rover, on Laufen,
dash along dask along
for cookies mom's fixin!

And don't bogart that milkbone

:smoke:


edited cuz Havocdad came up with a German word I could name a dog.

[Blue_In_AK]

27. Mmmmm, COOKIE!!

Me like Cookie. :rofl: (Frozen fish, actually - this is one of musher Robert Nelson's dogs at the end of the race last March.)