|
Navigation
|
 |
Article Navigation:
Want to write?
We're always looking for new writers and people willing to help out with the magazine and site. If you're interested, [Click here for more info]. |
|
Stay Updated!
If you'd like to stay updated and recieve a notice when the next issue of is released, just sign up at our forums by [Clicking here]. We will send out a mass e-mail to all our members when the next issue is released. |
|
Your Comments
Let us know how you feel about this issue. We will read e-mail sent and would appreciate any comments and/or suggestions that you may have. [Click here]. |
|
|
|
 |
Rick Collins Interview
by Scorpio, Admin at www.BeyondMass.com
For more info on Scorpio, BeyondMass.com or Above & Beyond, click the above banner.
- Mr. Collins, I’ve read a lot of articles from you, could you tell our readers what drew you into bodybuilding?
Well, I played team sports as a kid but wasn’t really wild about them. When I discovered bodybuilding I knew I’d found my niche. I enjoyed competing successfully at the local level in my late teens and early twenties, but it was always the gym training more than the shows that I’ve loved most. I still train hard and heavy after twenty-five years of throwing the iron. Also, I’ve been a fan of professional bodybuilding since I first saw Zane, Franco, Robby Robinson and Danny Padilla on Weider magazine covers in the late 70s. Funny thing, I was recently at Weider Publishing headquarters in Woodland Hills, California on business. It was an awesome blast back in time to see the many life-size oil paintings of the competitors I first admired so long ago. Very cool!
- Could you explain why you chose to study and practice law?
My father passed away and my family was far from wealthy. I worked my way through college as a bouncer and as an orderly in a nursing home. I could tell you some pretty wild stories out of both places! Anyway, law school was a great opportunity for me since I was offered a free academic scholarship for the whole enchilada. Some areas of the law seemed awfully boring to me, and I knew I wanted to practice criminal law right from the start. The excitement of the courtroom attracted me, and I liked the idea of doing some good for society. After law school, I became a prosecutor for five years trying cases and standing up for victims of violent crimes. I helped put many bad people behind bars. But not everyone who breaks the law deserves prison. Many don’t. The longer I worked as a prosecutor, the more that point became clear. I relish my present job as a defense lawyer and as an advocate for the bodybuilding and fitness community. I believe in my cases and my clients. I sleep well at night.
- Anabolics are considered a controlled substance; in your opinion how do the penalties compare to any recreational drug?
In many state courts, the penalties for all controlled substances are the same. In fact, due to years of media brainwashing by so-called “experts,” some prosecutors and judges think steroids are even worse than many rec drugs. Of course, non-medical steroid users are fundamentally different from recreational drug users. Anyway, the whole topic of criminalizing the cosmetic use of male hormones is one that would require an entire book to fully explore. Which is what I did in my book, Legal Muscle. The evidence is overwhelming that Congress made a terrible mistake when it made steroids a controlled substance. It listened to the zealots in the sports anti-doping lobby rather than to the AMA, DEA and FDA, each of which opposed scheduling steroids. There were far better ways to address the legitimate problems of doping competitive athletes and teenaged steroid users without authorizing the arrest and prosecution of mature, non-competing adults. The Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 1990 has been a failure, plain and simple.
- In your opinion what would have to happen to make anabolics accepted as a hormone rather than an illegal drug?
It’s already happening, but slowly. There’s a growing acceptance both publicly and among enlightened physicians of testosterone administration in the “anti-aging” context. And why not? Research suggests that testosterone therapy can be a godsend to the mature man looking for increased vitality, improved libido, restored muscle mass and decreased body fat. When supervised by a knowledgeable physician, the risks appear to be minimal.
- If someone were to get caught today with anabolics, what would be the first thing they should do?
Shut up. Don’t consent to any searches. Call a lawyer. Of course, law enforcers are trained to extract confessions and to induce suspects to waive their Fourth Amendment rights. My book has two whole chapters devoted to the topic of how cops go about doing that and what you can do to maximize your lawful protections. Most people are clueless about what to expect from a police encounter, and how to best deal with it.
- In your opinion, how vigorously is the law pursuing anabolic steroid possession?
During the 90s, nobody seemed to care much. But the explosion in online commerce and Americans’ access to foreign pharmaceuticals via the Internet has attracted the attention of Customs and postal authorities. In the past five years, I’ve seen an ever-increasing number of controlled deliveries of anabolic steroids. Typically, a guy orders some gear from Thailand or China or Europe and Customs discovers it in transit, then delivers it with the recipient’s house under surveillance. After the suspect accepts delivery of the package from the undercover carrier, a veritable SWAT team descends on the house, ransacking it for criminal evidence and arresting the suspect. Most people who read the many true stories presented in Legal Muscle are shocked to hear what’s going on. Whatever anyone’s views about steroid use, expending our tax dollars in operations like this is hard to justify.
- What would be your biggest concern of receiving anabolics in the mail?
Since 9-11, the scrutiny of incoming international packages has gone way up and Customs is now part of Homeland Security. While most juice packages still slip through, the percentage identified and seized has risen dramatically. While small packages may sometimes only get a seizure notice, you always run the risk of having an unfamiliar (undercover) mail carrier deliver the package to you in a controlled delivery. I’ve seen hundreds of them. By the way, a suspect who gets suspicious and refuses a controlled delivery usually gets a subsequent visit from the authorities called a “knock and talk.” It’s all in the book.
- Could you briefly describe the worst arrest case or misconception concerning anabolics?
Well, to me, the worst case is any case where a hard-working, otherwise law-abiding adult gets busted for purely personal use possession of anabolics. I don’t condone breaking the law. But I am vehemently critical of the law itself and the hypocritical stance of the mainstream medical community. As for misconceptions, you only have to read almost any mainstream article about steroids to see a mile-long list of exaggerations, distortions and outright lies. The public has been completely misled. I’m trying to change that.
- What do you think of online sites, like Ironlife.com, do they help educate people about the misconceptions of anabolics?
We need more objective, unbiased information about steroids to reach the general public. That was my reason for founding www.steroidlaw.com. The Internet is a powerful communication tool, and sites like [Ironlife*] have the opportunity to help serve the public. Bodybuilding sites with discussion forums allow for the free exchange of ideas and probably benefit many people by educating them not only about anabolic steroids but also on a variety of topics related to training, diet and fitness.
- Would you briefly like to describe your latest book?
People are calling Legal Muscle “the Bible” for hardcore bodybuilders. It’s easy to read, has great true stories, and offers ultra-practical information available no place else. Anyone remotely thinking about trying steroids should read this book first. Bodybuilding writer Chris Shugart of T-nation.com said it best, I think, in a recent review of it: “Hands down, this is the most important book ever written about steroids. It will leave you both outraged and educated. If information is a weapon, then this book is a tactical nuke.”
- Any plans on another book? Would you like to discuss it’s content?
I have a few ideas in development, yes. But I’m spending much of my time at the moment on behalf of the USFA (www.usfa.biz), fighting against the Washington attack on dietary supplements. Anyone who cares about free choice in nutritional supplements should urge their legislators to oppose Senator Dick Durbin’s anti-supplement bill. You can read all about it at the USFA site. Also, regarding new book plans, I’m far from done with Legal Muscle! I truly believe this book can change the way America thinks about steroid use. It’s become very popular among lifters, both juiced and lifetime natural. But we need to get its message further out into the mainstream. Above all, Legal Muscle is a manifesto for truth and freedom. I’m proud of its message. I hope [Ironlife*] readers will love it!
***Note: Content edited by Scorpio on behalf of ironlife.com.***
* Article by Scorpio, Admin at www.BeyondMass.com
* Back to Issue #6 Frontpage
|
|
|
