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10 Politicians Who Smoke Weed, Or At Least Used To
The majority of Americans now support legalizing marijuana, and U.S. politicians are now in a position to act upon that shift. Support for the legalization of marijuana grew to 58 percent in 2013, up from just 12 percent way back in 1969. Even 56 percent of people ages 50-64 support legislation to help regulate recreational use. With states like Colorado and Washington leading the way, legalization is getting more and more politically popular. Here are some of our favorite (and not-so-favorite) politicians who have admitted to smoking weed. A few might surprise you...
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Barack Obama
The president himself is rumored to have been very familiar with the green stuff back in the day. Growing up in Hawaii, people have claimed that Obama was part of a group of kids called the "Choom Gang" who played basketball and smoked pot. "Barry Obama was known for starting a few pot-smoking trends," says David Maraniss, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author. But so far, the Obama administration has officially opposed any form of drug legalization. In an interview with Barbara Walters, Obama said that "we've got bigger fish to fry" and that he was not focused on pot legalization "at this point." With his approval ratings at an all-time low, he probably wants to steer clear of rocking the boat any time soon.
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John Kerry
In a 2003 "Rock the Vote" debate, each Democratic presidential candidate was asked, “Which of you are ready to admit to having used marijuana in the past?” Now-Secretary of State John Kerry's simple response? "Yes."
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Rand Paul
The Republican Kentucky senator and former eye doctor (free Visine!) thinks that people shouldn't be thrown in jail for minor marijuana offenses, but he warns against doing the drug because users will "lose IQ points." But he might want to eat those words. Troublingly, one woman claims that during college, Paul and a friend essentially kidnapped her and tried to force her to smoke pot with them.
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George W. Bush
In 2005, former President George W. Bush basically admitted to smoking pot — probably by mistake. He told reporters, "I wouldn't answer the marijuana questions. You know why? Because I don't want some little kid doing what I tried."
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Bill Clinton
Everyone's favorite former jazz-playing prez got a bit miffed recently when an interview touched on his (sort of) drug use. In 1992, Clinton was widely mocked for saying that he had tried pot but didn't inhale it. “I didn’t say I was holier than thou, I said I tried,” Clinton clarified to Fusion's Jorge Ramos during an interview Tuesday. “I never denied that I used marijuana. I told the truth, I thought it was funny.”
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Mike Bloomberg
New York City's curmudgeon mayor says the legalization of marijuana "is one of the great hoaxes of all times." Yet when asked by New York magazine in 2001 if he's ever smoked a joint, he responded, "You bet I did, and I enjoyed it." Oh Bloomberg, just go back to playing golf in Bermuda.
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Andrew Cuomo
New York's governor and unintentional Christopher Walken impersonator doesn't favor the legalization of marijuana, but he says he doesn't explicitly oppose it for the future, either. He admitted he experimented with pot when he was young, but seems to regret that decision.
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Sarah Palin
Calling her a politician at this point might be somewhat of a stretch, but America's "Hockey Mom" has freely admitted to lighting up. "I can't claim a Bill Clinton and say that I never inhaled,” the former Alaska governor and one-time Republican vice presidential candidate told the Anchorage Daily News in 2006.
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John F. Kennedy
According to the rumor mill, JFK wanted to legalize marijuana during his second term, and was a regular user because of his back pain. Imagine that.
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George Washington
The first president apparently grew his own hemp and smoked pot to help with his horrible teeth pain. Well, he cannot tell a lie, right?
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