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Commander in Spliff
OK, so Roseanne Barr would legalize cannabis—awesome! But don’t think she’s the only person with presidential aspirations who has crossed paths with marijuana
OK, so Roseanne Barr would legalize cannabis—awesome! But don’t think she’s the only person with presidential aspirations who has crossed paths with marijuana. George Washington might have promoted the cultivation of hemp and Jimmy Carter might have been the closest we’ve ever come to having a President who was willing to entertain the concept of legalization, but these three dudes have—publicly or privately—admitted to having filled their lungs with that herbal essence. Now that’s executive privilege.
BARACK OBAMA
In his book Dreams of My Father, Obama admitted to smoking marijuana, drinking alcohol—and snorting cocaine (when he could afford it). He made similar, public admissions in 2006: “When I was a kid, I inhaled. That was the point.” Now if only Obama would go back to his inhaling ways . . .
BILL CLINTON
Maybe Bill is the anti-Obama. He admitted to smoking marijuana . . . but in 1992, when Clinton was campaigning for president, he said, “I didn’t inhale.” Weak, Bill, real weak.
GEORGE W. BUSH
George W. Bush, during secretly taped conversations prior to the 2000 election, hinted at pot use, according to BBC News. “I wouldn’t answer the marijuana question. You know why? ’Cause I don’t want some little kid doing what I tried.”
The Pursuit of Happiness
Sure, some 20th century presidents enjoyed the leaf . . . but let’s get old school. And by “old school” I mean the old school the Founding Fathers attended back in the 1700s. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson both grew hemp (in two counties in Virginia, you could pay your taxes in hemp), according to the National American Industrial Hemp Council. And Ben Franklin owned a mill that produced hemp paper. Inalienable rights, indeed.
