Top 50 Most Influential Cannabis Consumers

[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]A[/dropcap]list was recently released by the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) that showcases the most influential past and present cannabis consumers in the country.

This is not an exercise in naming the biggest supporters of cannabis policy reform, but rather a list to highlight how those in power or who are viewed as prominent figures have used cannabis in the past, at some time or another. President Obama, of course, is on the top of the list, followed closely by celebs and public figures such as Sanjay Gupta, Bill Gates, Seth MacFarlane, Oprah Winfrey, Stephen Colbert and Katy Perry, to name a few.

“About one out of every two Americans has used marijuana, including a whole lot of very successful people,” Mason Tvert, the director of communications at the MPP, stated. “There are a lot more out there that we don’t know about because it is illegal. Marijuana is a less harmful substance than alcohol. Adults who use it responsibly should not have to choose between keeping it a secret or admitting to a crime.”

The MPP notes that this list is especially important right now because of the upcoming presidential elections. “In addition to potentially becoming our next president, these marijuana consumers are playing a major role in the national political dialogue,” Tvert continued. “Win or lose, they are guiding the debate and influencing the positions of others both within and outside of their parties.”

This list proves that from unassuming celebrities to respected political figures, almost everyone has, at one point in their lives or another, tried cannabis.

“We hope this list will make people question some of the anti-marijuana propaganda they’ve been hearing for so long,” Tvert emphasized. “Millions of adults enjoy consuming marijuana for many of the same reasons that adults enjoy consuming alcohol. The only thing that makes marijuana consumers more likely to become ‘losers’ are the legal penalties they face just for using it.”