Elon Musk's response to cannabis use shows that we have a giant double standard to overcome

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Last week, when Elon Musk appeared on The Joe Rogan experience, he broke the internet when he took a single puff of cannabis at the mark of two hours and ten minutes. In just under 15 seconds of a podcast that lasted two and a half hours, he apparently did enough damage to drop the Tesla stock by nine percent, where he stayed for the rest of the day.

Today, the price of Tesla shares has rebounded and is back to normal. But the fifteen seconds when Musk accepted Rogan's seal, studied it with curiosity, took a single puff, raised it and handed it back, giving rise to a series of titles that persisted throughout the weekend.

"DealBook Briefing: Elon Musk has smoked weed in the air," the New York Times said.

"Analysis: Elon Musk hurts Tesla with his bizarre behavior," wrote CNN Money.

"Elon Musk saw smoking grass in a podcast," CNBC said.

Although cannabis use has become more common and more standardized than ever before, long-term sales and Musk's headlines suggest that cannabis still has a long way to go before it can overcome persistent stigma. . decades.

It does not matter that cannabis – for medical and recreational use – is legal in California, where the interview was recorded. It did not matter whether Musk said he had never smoked, or whether he had demonstrated the ability to keep a rational and thoughtful conversation until the conclusion of the interview. And it does not matter that he and Rogan drank whiskey all the time without incident or note. This 15-second clip has been played in a loop to prove that Musk has lost its credibility or, in the most extreme performances, has become uncontrollable.

I write this not to attack Elon Musk nor to be too supportive of his behavior. While this may sound unfair, a public company CEO has a duty to act at the highest level of professionalism. As CEO, I understand too much the expectations required in public environments. But it seems extremely problematic, especially in 2018, with legalization rising across the country, that someone can be stereotyped for having consumed a small amount of cannabis.

This demonstrates more than perhaps something other than a real double standard exists. If anyone attended a show – Squawk Box or The Joe Rogan Experience – and had a glass of wine or beer (or whiskey, as was the case in this interview), that would seldom make them headlines and would hardly be considered a news. But we can not deny, especially now, that it shows that marijuana is still controversial, even though it is gaining popularity and is being accepted by the general public.

"You probably can not because of the shareholders, right?" Rogan asked, either as a challenge or a warning. "Do people get mad at you if you do certain things?"

"I mean, it's legal, no?" Replied Musk. And then, after a brief whiff followed by a brief exchange on alcohol, the couple continued.

By the end of the day, Musk could have announced the most revolutionary, most visionary and most revolutionary technology during his long conversation with Rogan. But this cover would probably have been totally overshadowed by this tragedy.

We have a long way to go. Although it is relatively rare for a public company CEO to openly consume tobacco or smoke something in a public interview or a widely publicized public forum, Musk's appearance with Joe Rogan shows a stark contrast in our perception of cannabis and its use. Cannabis is now legal for medical and / or recreational use in 31 states and the District of Columbia, and the market for cannabis and cannabis products can only continue to grow dramatically.

Such a tiny part of a large interview is all that most will hear or remember about the current state of affairs and the stigma that lingers despite the quick efforts and successes of the legalization. Sooner or later we will have to overcome the double standard that exists. The industry is changing and so we must transform our attitudes with it.

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Last week, when Elon Musk appeared on The Joe Rogan experience, he broke the internet when he took a single puff of cannabis at the mark of two hours and ten minutes. In just under 15 seconds of a podcast that lasted two and a half hours, he apparently did enough damage to drop the Tesla stock by nine percent, where he stayed for the rest of the day.

Today, the price of Tesla shares has rebounded and is back to normal. But the fifteen seconds when Musk accepted Rogan's seal, studied it with curiosity, took a single puff, raised it and handed it back, giving rise to a series of titles that persisted throughout the weekend.

"DealBook Briefing: Elon Musk has smoked weed in the air," the New York Times said.

"Analysis: Elon Musk hurts Tesla with his bizarre behavior," wrote CNN Money.

"Elon Musk saw smoking grass in a podcast," CNBC said.

Although cannabis use has become more common and more standardized than ever before, long-term sales and Musk's headlines suggest that cannabis still has a long way to go before it can overcome persistent stigma. . decades.

It does not matter that cannabis – for medical and recreational use – is legal in California, where the interview was recorded. It did not matter whether Musk said he had never smoked, or whether he had demonstrated the ability to keep a rational and thoughtful conversation until the conclusion of the interview. And it does not matter that he and Rogan drank whiskey all the time without incident or note. This 15-second clip has been played in a loop to prove that Musk has lost its credibility or, in the most extreme performances, has become uncontrollable.

I write this not to attack Elon Musk nor to be too supportive of his behavior. While this may sound unfair, a public company CEO has a duty to act at the highest level of professionalism. As CEO, I understand too much the expectations required in public environments. But it seems extremely problematic, especially in 2018, with legalization rising across the country, that someone can be stereotyped for having consumed a small amount of cannabis.

This demonstrates more than perhaps something other than a real double standard exists. If anyone attended a show – Squawk Box or The Joe Rogan Experience – and had a glass of wine or beer (or whiskey, as was the case in this interview), that would seldom make them headlines and would hardly be considered a news. But we can not deny, especially now, that it shows that marijuana is still controversial, even though it is gaining popularity and is being accepted by the general public.

"You probably can not because of the shareholders, right?" Rogan asked, either as a challenge or a warning. "Do people get mad at you if you do certain things?"

"I mean, it's legal, no?" Replied Musk. And then, after a brief whiff followed by a brief exchange on alcohol, the couple continued.

By the end of the day, Musk could have announced the most revolutionary, most visionary and most revolutionary technology during his long conversation with Rogan. But this cover would probably have been totally overshadowed by this tragedy.

We have a long way to go. Although it is relatively rare for a public company CEO to openly consume tobacco or smoke something in a public interview or a widely publicized public forum, Musk's appearance with Joe Rogan shows a stark contrast in our perception of cannabis and its use. Cannabis is now legal for medical and / or recreational use in 31 states and the District of Columbia, and the market for cannabis and cannabis products can only continue to grow dramatically.

Such a tiny part of a large interview is all that most will hear or remember about the current state of affairs and the stigma that lingers despite the quick efforts and successes of the legalization. Sooner or later we will have to overcome the double standard that exists. The industry is changing and so we must transform our attitudes with it.