Ian Barry says he wasn’t trying to be a martyr when he lit a marijuana joint this week at Peninsula High School in Gig Harbor, nor was he trying to pull a stunt.
Simply put, the 17-year-old junior wanted to drive home the message of his persuasive essay: Marijuana doesn’t deserve its negative stigma and should be legalized.
On Friday, Barry told The News Tribune that he knew what the consequences would be for his bold tactics, but he was willing to accept them.
After his speech Tuesday, he was arrested and sent to Remann Hall juvenile detention center in Tacoma. He was ousted from school on an emergency expulsion.
He says he fully accepts his punishment. He faces misdemeanor charges of unlawful drug possession after police found the container that he carried the joint in and that contained marijuana residue. He also understands this will go on his record.
“I see myself as someone who holds himself to a high moral value,” Barry said via cell phone. “I stand up for what I believe in.”
News of his speech and arrest spread quickly, as local and national media outlets picked up his story.
But more importantly, he said, his story has created a dialogue about whether marijuana should be legalized.
“As Sir Isaac Newton said, ‘Every action has an equal and opposite reaction,’ ” Barry said. “I don’t think there would have been another way I could have gotten this reaction.”
Here is Barry’s account of what happened:
About a month ago, he and the rest of the students in Peninsula’s Rhetoric Revels group were asked to produce a persuasive speech. The group meets monthly to celebrate student work in English classes.
He said a classmate suggested that he present a speech on legalizing marijuana. He said he has smoked pot since he was 12, and the topic made sense because it was something in which he believed.
Barry, who has a 3.7 grade-point average, stressed that he took the assignment seriously. In fact, what was supposed to be a two-page paper turned into 15 pages.
But to prove his point and get the attention of all students, Barry decided to take the now-famous puffs.
On Tuesday, about 150 students gathered in Peninsula High’s auditorium. They had heard about his plans and wanted to see it for themselves.
When it was his turn to speak, Barry said he walked on stage and read the first seven pages.
Then, before he turned to the eighth page, he pulled out the joint that was hidden in his dreadlocks. He said he lit up, took a toke, then read the rest of his speech, occasionally stopping to take a puff.
“There was a huge cheer when I lit up,” he recalled.
Among the topics covered in his speech: marijuana’s medicinal benefits and its undeserved reputation of being harmful. It lasted about 12 minutes.
When he was done, Barry walked backstage, took a few more hits, then ate the little bit that remained of the joint.
One of his friends went to check on him backstage, then the two sat back down in the audience. A school administrator walked to Barry, escorted him out and eventually to the principal’s office.
Barry said a police officer showed up, put him in handcuffs and drove him to Remann Hall.
He was booked, fingerprinted and photographed before being released to his father about an hour later.
In the days since his speech, he’s been both defended and condemned in dozens of online comments on the story on The News Tribune’s Web site.
Barry said he’s been encouraged by some of the comments, but it’s fine if people disagree with his stance. He just hopes people realize that he was simply trying to get his message across and wasn’t afraid of his punishment.
His future is in flux. He will meet with Peninsula administrators to determine whether he should be allowed to finish classes.
He’s also looking beyond high school at college. Barry is considering a career in English or politics.
He said he’s going to take the SAT test today. His first college of choice: “California, probably Humboldt” State University, he said.
06-11-2009, 09:04 PM
Veron
ITT: Kids just wanna get high
06-11-2009, 09:06 PM
Serix
A hero has been born
06-11-2009, 09:06 PM
power_gamer_6
I don't think he realizes what 'being a martyr' means.
06-11-2009, 09:30 PM
Zynosphere
this kid is my hero.
06-11-2009, 09:37 PM
BadpcGuy
NO, that is not the way to go about it. Not in school anything but school it's a place of learning. I agree with him and the whole essay he did about it but don't lit up the joint in school. There is nothing wrong with weed if it was legalized the people who wouldn't do it won't do it. The people who do it will continue to do it and the people curious about might do it. He could of go about another way of doing it.
06-11-2009, 09:45 PM
Leviarel
lol @ teen.
I am sure he's gonna regret somewhere deep inside one day.
06-11-2009, 09:48 PM
Norrin Radd
Yeah, because that's how you galvanise marijuana's already golden image.
06-11-2009, 09:56 PM
Veron
The majority of people who want to legalize marijuana are mostly under 30. Since the majority is young they dont have much to show as older people would just see it as shenanigians and not productive
sadly even protesting and stuff like that really doesnt work anymore
tl;dr Oh you kids with your drugs
06-11-2009, 10:01 PM
Alivada
Well I hope that joint was worth loosing education and having a stain on his record.
What a ***.
06-11-2009, 10:02 PM
Luppi
He'll regret it like hell in like less than 5 years.
06-11-2009, 10:02 PM
leathel
FINE ill say it !
Drugs are bad mmmmmkayy.
06-11-2009, 10:06 PM
`doll
Even if it's 30 yrs+ adults thinking it's bad, they can still be rational.
Look at when they tried to ban alcohol. Just meant more "crime" that had to do with it being bought/transferred underhand, illegal 'speakeasy' get togethers to get drunk.
They eventually figured it out that yeah it messed you up mentally and physically & there was a crap load of people breaking the law, but you could STILL sort it out to be a responsible, legal pastime.
06-11-2009, 10:31 PM
Norrin Radd
Quote:
Originally Posted by Veron
The majority of people who want to legalize marijuana are mostly under 30. Since the majority is young they dont have much to show as older people would just see it as shenanigians and not productive
sadly even protesting and stuff like that really doesnt work anymore
tl;dr Oh you kids with your drugs
That's because old people don't have anything to do with their lives besides judge people and vote against them.
There's new shit they need to accept and when the older generations are extinct, the world can move on.
06-11-2009, 10:46 PM
Oisterman
*fires one up for his fellow freedom fighter*
Way to make a statement broski! XD
That dude has balls of steel. Even if you don't agree with what he has done, you should respect his level of devotion!
06-11-2009, 10:51 PM
Raineheart
This kid should start a religion.
06-11-2009, 10:54 PM
Popsai
That guy's a dumbass.
Seriously, i am in no way against weed, hell i support the legalization, but doing it in school? he had it coming, if he was smoking cigars or drinking beer the same thing would've happened.
Now tell me, what good did he do? None, got himself expelled.
06-11-2009, 11:10 PM
Thalamast
respect his devotion *was about to light one before i saw this thread*
06-11-2009, 11:29 PM
Str1der
Quote:
Originally Posted by Oisterboy
*fires one up for his fellow freedom fighter*
Way to make a statement broski! XD
That dude has balls of steel. Even if you don't agree with what he has done, you should respect his level of devotion!
That had to be about the dumbest thing he could have possibly done to advocate the legalization of marijuana. I don't respect him at all. In fact, I scoff at what he did. I don't think it should be legalized just because I think the use of it is silly, but if you want to fight for its right, a school setting has to be one of the dumbest places to do so.
06-11-2009, 11:32 PM
xXpsychoXx
'I was spose' to read my speech, but then i got high.'
Ah good song :D
06-11-2009, 11:34 PM
Oisterman
True, but we don't know this kid. For all we know, he was a perfect student, a perfect member of the community, etc. Maybe he just burned once in a while and felt passionate about this.
The shock of seeing that happen to your average "stoner" isn't that big of a deal. But if this kid was an outstanding member of society, I believe he made a very bold statement.
Guess I should have mentioned that xD
06-12-2009, 12:28 AM
$$$
Pfft, you can'y use props in a speech! What was this guy thinking?
/sarcasm
06-12-2009, 12:43 AM
zipykido
Quote:
Originally Posted by TheSkald
Pfft, you can'y use props in a speech! What was this guy thinking?
/sarcasm
Maybe he was high while writing the speech. Maybe he didn't really write 15 pages, and he just read from a coloring book.
06-12-2009, 12:56 AM
power_gamer_6
Quote:
Originally Posted by Oisterboy
True, but we don't know this kid. For all we know, he was a perfect student, a perfect member of the community, etc. Maybe he just burned once in a while and felt passionate about this.
The shock of seeing that happen to your average "stoner" isn't that big of a deal. But if this kid was an outstanding member of society, I believe he made a very bold statement.
Guess I should have mentioned that xD
He had a 3.7 GPA, and he'd been toking for five years. He wrote a fifteen-page (supposed to be two-page) speech on the legalization of marijuana. He had dreadlocks. He kept the spliff IN his dreadlocks, AT school. And he lit it during his speech. He essentially became a MARTYR for the legalization of marijuana.
He doesn't seem like an outstanding member of society to me. He SEEMS like your "average stoner" who can put away the Doobie Snacks and do some homework when it's needed.
I don't think you read the whole article. All this stuff was in it.
06-12-2009, 01:44 AM
Civil
Quote:
Originally Posted by Oisterboy
True, but we don't know this kid. For all we know, he was a perfect student, a perfect member of the community, etc. Maybe he just burned once in a while and felt passionate about this.
The shock of seeing that happen to your average "stoner" isn't that big of a deal. But if this kid was an outstanding member of society, I believe he made a very bold statement.
Guess I should have mentioned that xD
Or maybe he was a horrible student, and horrible member of the community, ect. Maybe he was addicted (You can be addicted to anything)
Its not a bold statment, it shows that he loved weed so much he threw his life away for it.
Yeah, he's going to have a tough time getting into college now.
06-12-2009, 01:46 AM
xDmonster
Oh sh*t!
Psychadelic quoted himself, just like Jin - Roh
:stare:
06-12-2009, 01:54 AM
Breathe
Hes a thug
06-12-2009, 03:08 AM
Xynh
Quote:
Originally Posted by Civil
And we should care because?
Don't post if you don't care. :3
Out of all people, Civil.
06-12-2009, 03:58 AM
Xkarinx
what a ****ing dumbass. Weed is illegal period. Smoking weed or anything is illegal on school grounds. At least do it somewhere else. lol. 3.7 gpa my ****ing ***. Good luck getting into collage too. This is what weed does to you. Makes you think you can make a statement. **** you.
06-12-2009, 05:06 AM
`doll
Quote:
Originally Posted by Xkarinx
what a ****ing dumbass. Weed is illegal period. Smoking weed or anything is illegal on school grounds. At least do it somewhere else. lol. 3.7 gpa my ****ing ***. Good luck getting into collage too. This is what weed does to you. Makes you think you can make a statement. **** you.
LMFAO.
Speeding is illegal too. I have never seen someone so passionate about the law.
06-12-2009, 05:57 AM
Xynh
Quote:
Originally Posted by Psychadelic
Disclaimer:
I am a very strong supporter of the legalization of marijuana, (however lame it's going to be when they tax the shit out of it) but I do not, in any way, support what this kid did.
Legalization of marijuana doesn't mean you have to buy it from the government. Just openly grow it at home. :)
06-12-2009, 07:21 AM
Psychadelic
Quote:
Originally Posted by Xynh
Legalization of marijuana doesn't mean you have to buy it from the government. Just openly grow it at home. :)
I tried to put my thoughts into this post, but explaining something like this to a person who doesn't know anything about weed is hard.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Xkarinx
what a ****ing dumbass. Weed is illegal period. Smoking weed or anything is illegal on school grounds. At least do it somewhere else. lol. 3.7 gpa my ****ing ***. Good luck getting into collage too. This is what weed does to you. Makes you think you can make a statement. **** you.
Man. Let me get you on a good stress-relief system.
1. get a fat bag
2. get a coffee grinder
3. pick out the stems
4. grind all your bud
5. collect the crystal from the side
6. pack a pure crystal bowl and smoke it all to your dome
Take a vacation to reality.
06-12-2009, 07:28 AM
fenix40k
nice ! :D He is really courageous. I am on his side ^^
06-12-2009, 07:57 AM
Xynh
Quote:
Originally Posted by Psychadelic
I tried to put my thoughts into this post, but explaining something like this to a person who doesn't know anything about weed is hard.
Lol, who says I don't know anything about weed? The process of growing exotic weed takes more taking care of than a human infant. But hey, either that or taxation. ;D
06-12-2009, 08:02 AM
Lawliet1
He should have just got high before going to school like me >_>
pretty funny though wish i could have seen it.
06-12-2009, 11:59 AM
Justlikeheaven
Old news to me, I live 40 minutes aways :/
But all this kid has done is show that marjiuana gives you poor judgement. Woop woop.
If you wanna fight the good fight sign the potitions, don't do stupid shit like this.
06-12-2009, 12:05 PM
fenix40k
Quote:
Old news to me, I live 40 minutes aways :/
But all this kid has done is show that marjiuana gives you poor judgement. Woop woop.
If you wanna fight the good fight sign the potitions, don't do stupid shit like this.
yup thats right too. When he really wants to show them that the drug isnt dangerous and so on..he should show them something else. Some vids about this theme may help him or something else. Now they are all suspicious about this situation (think so)
06-12-2009, 01:19 PM
Oisterman
IDK. I don't even care about legalization anymore. I mean, I'd go and vote 'yes', I'd go to a march, etc.
But I don't even care anymore. I'm just gonna move to the top of a mountain somewhere that there aren't any cops or bullshit to deal with. I'm gonna be self reliant and just have a huge field of ganja because nobody will care.
I hate the law, so I'm just gonna get away from the law :]
06-12-2009, 02:37 PM
Norrin Radd
You're not going to get away from the law unless you go live up a tree somewhere and have no human interaction, job or social life ever again.
As for Civil, you'd rather be a dick? Then you have the stomach to whine when someone calls you out on something. I'd rather you stay on topic and discuss the thread, because it's either that or a warning. Decide before I decide for you.
06-12-2009, 02:50 PM
Arri
So...I'm going to speak my mind about this news article in general:
How does this kid lighting weed in class when he KNEW it wasn't allowed (don't give me any "if marijuana is going legal it's okay!" crap, most school systems still won't allow it and then got arrested for it, then the student/teacher giving off some innocent "I never knew anything would happen, why me?!?" speach effect the rest of us?
That's really all it is, they're doing it because they're either stupid enough to not realize they're going to get in trouble, or they either do it for the attention because they're stupid enough to not realize there will be punishments for what they do.
But either way I wrap my head around it, I still don't see how the actions of one stupid teenager effect all of us.
