The ongoing discussion about marijuana legalization has its moments — good and bad. And sometimes, these moments are hilarious. Like the time Barack Obama schooled journalists about the right way to smoke weed. Which is why when we think about politicians who smoke weed, Obama is the first name that pops into mind.
In fact, America has had a rich history of politicians who smoke weed. But it’s only recently that politicians have been speaking openly about it.
8 Politicians Who Smoke Weed
1. Barack Obama
Former President Obama has always been a badass. He’s definitely not someone who won’t own up to things he does or enjoys. In an interview, as the unabashed liberal he is, he admitted to inhaling. This was back in 2007 when he was running for president. He was asked if he inhaled, and Obama said without a pause, “I did.” He then added, “I didn’t understand that statement. The point was to inhale.”
Back in the day, growing up in Hawaii, Obama was a part of a group called Choom Gang. Pretty much all this gang did was play basketball and smoke pot.
2. Bill Clinton
Another former president, Bill Clinton famously admitted to smoking weed. However, unlike Obama, Clinton said he didn’t inhale. And people widely mocked him for it.
Back in 1992, he said, “When I was in England, I experimented with marijuana a time or two, and didn’t like it. I didn’t inhale and I didn’t try it again.”
3. Bernie Sanders
But just because he isn’t a fan himself, didn’t stop him from supporting legalization. As a presidential candidate, he supported easing of marijuana prohibition laws. In 2015, he filed a bill that would give states the option of legalizing recreational weed.
4. Ted Cruz
Ted Cruz himself hasn’t publicly admitted to smoking pot. But his people have. In 2015, a spokesman for Cruz told the Daily Mail, “Teenagers are often known for their lack of judgment, and Sen. Cruz was no exception. When he was a teenager, he foolishly experimented with marijuana. It was a mistake, and he’s never tried it since.”
5. Mike Bloomberg
Back in 2001, when New York magazine asked Mike Bloomberg about smoking pot, he owned up to it. His exact words? “You bet I did, and I enjoyed it.”
That isn’t to say that he supports legalization of marijuana though. In fact, he thinks it “is one of the great hoaxes of all times.”
6. Andrew Cuomo
New York’s governor is another politician who smokes weed but doesn’t favor legalization. To his credit though, he says he doesn’t explicitly oppose it for the future, either.
He has experimented with weed and owned up to it. But he’s been very cautious about it all. “What I’ve said — the question’s come up before, and I said I did experiment with marijuana when I was a youth. In no way do I suggest that any young people should do any experimentation whatsoever.”
7. Sarah Palin
Sarah Palin is another politician who smokes weed and very freely so. Back in 2006, she told the Anchorage Daily News, “I can’t claim a Bill Clinton and say that I never inhaled.”
8. Rand Paul
In his own words, the Republican Kentucky senator wasn’t a choir boy in college. “Let’s just say I wasn’t a choir boy when I was in college and that I can recognize that kids make mistakes, and I can say that I made mistakes when I was a kid,” he said.