In a move to legitimize pot use, a group dedicated to relaxing anti-marijuana laws has named President Obama No. 1 on its “Top 50 Most Influential Marijuana Consumers” in the United States.
In featuring the president and others who have talked about marijuana use, the Marijuana Policy Project quoted Obama saying, “When I was a kid, I inhaled. Frequently. That was the point.”
Barack Obama wrote about smoking pot.
Second on the list were several 2016 presidential candidates from both sides who’ve talked about smoking dope, followed by Oprah Winfrey, former President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State John Kerry.
“About one out of every two Americans has used marijuana, including a whole lot of very successful people,” said Mason Tvert, MPP’s director of communications. “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 goal of the report issued Wednesday morning was to make marijuana laws part of the presidential debate and put pressure on those in the race who have smoked it.
“We hope this list will make people question some of the anti-marijuana propaganda they’ve been hearing for so long,” Tvert said. “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.”
The top 10:
1. Barack Obama
2. 2016 presidential hopefuls
3. Oprah Winfrey
4. Bill Clinton
5. John Kerry
6. Stephen Colbert
7. Clarence Thomas
8. Katy Perry
9. LeBron James
10. Jay Z
Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner’s “Washington Secrets” columnist, can be contacted at [email protected].
