The 100m and 200m champ posed with clothes made by US firm The Pothead Diaries.
The star, who has admitted smoking dope when he was young, posted a picture of its T-shirts on his Instagram account. According to the Pothead website, the clothing range is a "collection to express your inner pothead".
It adds: "Celebrate our love for the culture and our involvement in it. Join us in getting involved with the evolution of cannabis apparel." But the photo provoked a storm of controversy last night, with even Bolt's loyal fans attacking the 26-year-old Jamaican, famous for his Lightning pose.
One of his Instagram followers posted: "Don't think you should broadcasting that. b smart."
Lucy Rowe, of Skunk Sense, a charity for people affected by the class B drug, also criticized Bolt — a hero to millions.
She said: "I would hope that such a charismatic young man who is very much a role model for young people would have more common sense than to give free publicity to a company which so blatantly promotes cannabis use."
Addiction specialist Mark Dempster claimed: "He's using his position to promote something that can cause not just addiction, but also create mental health problems for young people."
In 2009 Bolt, worth £32million a year in sponsorship deals, admitted smoking dope as a youngster in Jamaica, but said it was no longer part of his lifestyle.
He said: "When you're a child in Jamaica, you learn how to roll a joint. Everyone tried marijuana, including me, but I was really young."
Bolt's spokesman did not respond to requests for comment. Last night the photo was removed.
Source: The Sun U.K
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