The cereal manufacturer Kellogg's is facing a boycott from angry cannabis activists over its decision to drop drug-shame swimmer Michael Phelps from its advertising campaigns.

Kellogg's has been featuring the 23-year-old multi-gold medallist on the front of its US packets of Frosted Flakes and Corn Flakes since soon after his record-breaking eight Olympic gold medals last summer. But the multinational decided not to renew his contract last week after the News of the World published a photo of Phelps smoking cannabis at a student party in November.

The decision has produced a wave of anger, with pro-cannabis campaigners taking the lead in urging a boycott over the company's "hypocritical and disgusting" action.

Several mainstream newspapers including the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal have also published opinion columns questioning the rationale and effectiveness of America's cannabis laws.

"Kellogg's had no problem signing up Phelps when he had a conviction for drunk driving, an illegal act that could actually have killed someone," said Rob Kampia, the executive director of Marijuana Policy Project.

"To drop him for choosing to relax with a substance that is safer than beer is an outrage, and it sends a dangerous message to young people."

His group has set up an online petition against Kellogg's, calling for Phelps to be reinstated and US drugs laws to be liberalised. So far it has attracted 2,300 signatures

The National Organisation for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, Students for Sensible Drug Policy and the Drug Policy Alliance, have also urged a boycott of Kellogg's products.

"It’s not just that Michael Phelps did what millions of other twenty-somethings do. It’s that he did what over one hundred million Americans have done at least once in their lives, including the president, former presidents, members of the US Congress and Supreme Court," said Ethan Nadelmann, executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance.

On the Huffington Post website, blogger Lee Stranahan composed a draft petition to Kellogg's which read: “We believe that most people over the age of 12 would not eat Kellogg’s products were they not wicked high... Given all these facts and the total disregard for your customer base ... we the undersigned plan to BOYCOTT your products. And we’re serious. Even though the Pop Tarts thing will be HARD.”

Norm Stamper, a former Seattle police chief who campaigns for drug law reform, released a letter to Kellogg's in which he pleaded for “sane, sensible, and compassionate drug policies" and suggested the company had “underestimated the country’s maturity on this issue”.

He also said he had purchased his last box of Kellogg's Mueslix, his former favourite cereal.

The company said last week that it was dropping Phelps because his conduct was "not consistent with the image of Kellogg's", but has so far declined to comment on the boycott campaign.

It has, however, been fielding a high number of calls, judging by the fact that the Phelps scandal is being given precedence on Kellogg's telephone system even over a recall of tainted peanut butter. "If you would like to share your comments regarding our relationship with Michael Phelps, please press one to speak to a representative. If you're calling about the recent peanut butter recall, please press two now," says its recorded message.

The fallout from the picture of Phelps smoking a cannabis 'bong' (a homemade pipe) widened today when it was reported that eight people have been arrested by police in South Carolina investigating what happened at the party.

WIS television station said that the police had executed search warrants and as a result seven people were arrested for drug possession and another for distribution of drugs. None of them was named, but Phelps was not among those held.

The TV station reported a source saying that police had arrested the owner of the bong, who hadn't been present at the party but had allegedly since been trying to cash in by putting the pipe up for sale for $100,000 on the internet auction site eBay. Police have confiscated the bong, the station said.

Phelps himself appeared relaxed about the furore, which was recently the butt of comedian David Letterman's show Saturday Night Live programme.

“Unemployment is high. Foreclosures are high. Michael Phelps is high,” joked Letterman, adding that the day was 23 and cloudy before saying, “No, wait, that’s Michael Phelps."

"I saw the SNL skit and I was just dying. We definitely got a huge kick out of it," Phelps told the Baltimore Sun. "My mom saw it, my sisters saw it, and everyone was emailing each other and sending each other the link, so it was pretty good."

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