Dolores Fonzi Speaks Out; Paula Nelson Gets Arrested

Argentinian actress Dolores Fonzi, the wife of prominent Mexican actor Gael García Bernal and mother of two young children, has appeared on the cover of the Spanish-language cannabis enthusiast magazine THC (pictured) and told El Mundo that she has smoked marijuana for 20 years.

The thirty-five year old actress said that smoking pot opened her up, and now relaxes her, like a glass of wine. After doing her daily chores with her children: taking them to the garden, feeding them, bathing them, "I have a smoke, and it's how I take a break from everyday obligations. I use it to read, watch a movie or sleep."

Fonzi, who lives in Mexico, said she does not hide her marijuana smoking from her children, and if they ask her about it, she will be honest about her experience with it. "Neither stimulate nor suppress," she said. "They will make their own way."

Bernal played Che Guevera in The Motorcycle Diaries (2004) and has come out in favor of marijuana legalization. UPDATE 1/16: He just won a Golden Globe for portraying NY Symphony conductor Rodrigo, who "publicly endorses hallucinogens" and scores pot in the park in the Amazon Prime Series "Mozart in the Jungle," based on the book "Mozart in the Jungle: Sex, Drugs and Classical Music" by Tokin' Woman Blair Tindall. Two female members of the orchestra bond over a pipe in the series, where the drummer (natch) is the peddler.

Here in the US, Willie Nelson's daughter Paula was arrested for pot possession on 4/20 after her tour bus was pulled over for speeding and she reportedly consented to a search. According to KVUE.TV, The Paula Nelson Band had just spent two weeks performing in Colorado and was headed back home through Texas when the incident happened.

"We were driving back from Colorado, where of course it's now recreationally legal, and because of my lineage I get a lot of gifts while we're there," said Nelson. Those gifts were in the van when she was pulled over for speeding in Menard, which is two hours west of Austin. The officer found less than two ounces of weed and some edible treats containing pot.

When accused of staging the bust as a publicity stunt, Nelson replied that if so she would have had her hair done for her mug shot (which is just what I was thinking). Nelson's CD sales have reportedly doubled since the news broke. Under Texas law, she faces up to 180 days in jail and a two thousand dollar fine.

Expressing surprise at the amount of hate speech aimed at the police that was posted on her Facebook page in response to the news of her bust, Nelson told KVUE, "It wasn't their fault. They were doing their jobs and they were upholding a law that shouldn't be a law."

Prominent Korean Actress Calls for Legalization

According to the Korea Times, actress Kim Bu-seon, 46, appeared on MBC TV in her home country on June 19 and spoke in favor of legalization. Kim launched a campaign for cannabis legalization in 2004 after she was arrested for marijuana use and sentenced to a suspended jail term. She then filed a petition with the Constitutional Court for a review of the constitutionality of the country's marijuana-related laws.

In the MBC interview, she protested the recent arrest of actor Oh Gwang-rok on charges of marijuana use, saying his actions caused no harm and that the drug did not affect his ability to act. "Have you ever heard of any news that I committed a crime after smoking marijuana? I have never done anything harmful, as politicians or thieves have," she said.

"Marijuana is not a narcotic; it is technically an Oriental herbal medicine which Koreans have used for 5,000 years," she said. "If smoking it doesn't do harm to others, those who do need it, such as those suffering from depression or cancer patients, should be allowed to use it. Marijuana increases appetite and improves sleep."

"Korea has the highest ratio of death by suicide among OECD members. The nation needs to take marijuana as a depression remedy and make depression patients come back to society....Whenever the government has troubles, it uses drug-taking entertainers to divert people's attention. It is the best way to make entertainers and artists obey the government,'' the astute actress told viewers on the live telecast. So far, MBC has not answered calls for an apology for the broadcast.

Oh Gwang-rok, most famous for his role as a wise man in “Taewangsasingi” (The Four Guardian Gods of the King), was arrested June 18 for smoking marijuana. Oh is suspected of having smoked marijuana on several occasions, including once in February at his house in Seoul. He allegedly smoked with the head of an unidentified information-technology company, known as Park, investigators said. Police said Park bought the pot from a local dealer and shared it with eight others, including animation film director Kim Mun-saeng. Oh has appeared in numerous films including “Seven Days” and “Sympathy for Lady Vengeance” (with Kim Bu-seon.)

Meanwhile, former champion downhill mountain biker Missy "The Missile" Giove, 37, has been charged with marijuana distribution and faces up to 40 years in prison and a $2 million fine if convicted, according to The Daily News. Giove is the most successful woman in competitive mountain biking's history, grabbing a record 14 National Off-Road Bicycle Association championships and 11 World Cup wins. Known for her outrageous looks and daredevil riding style, she is openly lesbian, and was featured in a Reebok ad and interviewed by David Letterman.

Investigators spied on Giove as she got off a plane at the Albany County Airport and took a cab to a hotel, where she met a confidential informant and picked up a pick-up truck and box-trailer. Approximately 400 pounts of marijuana were found in the trailer and at co-defendant Eric Canori's house. "Drug trafficking can lead you downhill fast," Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent John Gilbride quipped.