The 2010 Olympic Torch design is scorching internet search engines this afternoon, with many claiming it bears a close resemblance to a marijuana cigarette.The fact that next year's games are being held in Vancouver, B.C. only make the connection easier.Composed of stainless steel, aluminum and sheet moulding, the torch was designed to evoke snow, ice, skiing and skating, but to many, the metre-long white torch looks suspiciously like a marijuana joint, especially when lit.
The observation has become so common in this city that it's hard to know who was the first to say, "Hey, doesn't that look like ..."
The torch's resemblance to British Columbia's biggest cash crop was evident right away to Jodie Emery, editor of Cannabis Culture magazine.
"A lot of people come to Vancouver because it's marijuana-friendly, so I think people who already enjoy a joint themselves will feel a little more kinship to the Olympics," said Emery, who ran as a Green party candidate in the provincial election this month.
If only we could get an industrial engineer to weigh in on what the designers were going for.
Industrial designer Mark Busse said he doesn't see a joint so much as a tweezer or scalpel.
"Sure, it may look a little bit like a joint, but I can tell you that what they were going for was ergonomics, sleekness, modernity," he said.
I think it's high time for some debate on this.
Does Vancouver torch look like a joint? (Toronto Star)
Three cheers for imagination!! Yes I can see how it looks like a spliff, even if a squashed one!
No doubt many an Olympic Athlete has at some time indulged in the beneficial cannabis plant either for relaxation or pain relief - and I think it is surely time our Governments legalised the plant for adults who do not harm to others through their usage.
Debate the image for sure, but where is there justification in punishing people who use cannabis so long as they do no harm to others
They're just trying to make sure the snowboarders will feel welcome, since they're a relatively new addition to the Winter Games.
It looks like a joint