5 Presidents who Smoked Weed
President’s Day is among us. Aside from being one of those ‘random holidays’ most companies grant paid time off, President’s Day is very special to the Stickyleaf family. According to historians, at least eleven U.S. Presidents, from Generals of the military to Ambassadors, smoked weed and went on to sustain astonishingly successful and meaningful lives. This Monday, let’s roll up a few joints in honor of the forefathers and architects of this nation. Here are a few presidents who smoked or cultivated weed.
John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy would probably be considered a medicinal cannabis patient in today’s cannabis industry landscape. Many of his biographies narrate JFK’s cannabis use for dealing with relentless back pain. One written account from the Washington Post states that JFK smoked three doobies in the White House at least once as President. According to the report, he rejected a fourth ‘cannabis cigarette’ hilariously asking, “What if the Russians [were to do] something now?” President JFK is the only president who has recorded cannabis use while in the White House. Unfortunately, JFK was assassinated in 1963 before the end of his term.
Barack H. Obama
Of all of the presidents who have served in the past 30 years, President Obama is the most open about cannabis use in his collegiate days. Additionally, photos of President Obama with a joint made their way around the internet a handful of times over the years. In a fashion similar to Bill Clinton during Obama’s 2008 campaign, Obama admitted to smoking weed back in the day. “When I was a kid, I inhaled frequently. That was kind of the point.” This quote has since become a staple of the cannabis-consuming political universe.
Bill Clinton
As someone who also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy, it is no surprise that President Bill Clinton has made the list of cannabis-consuming presidents. We are all familiar with Bill Clinton’s famous quote he supplied in response to questions of cannabis use in his younger days. President Clinton claimed to have tried cannabis a couple of times but never inhaled. And he may not have been being fallacious. As aforementioned, President Clinton is a philosopher; his claims of never inhaling may be semantics and rhetoric attempts. Some authors who have investigated the matter believe that Clinton was fond of edibles. Theoretically, President Clinton may not have ‘smoked’ weed since he preferred edibles. Well played, President Clinton, well played.
George W. Bush
George W. Bush is known for his cocaine use more during college than he is known for smoking weed. However, President Bush periphrastically admitted to smoking cannabis at some point during his college experiences. He avoided all questions about his pot use until after his term (which is entirely understandable.) President ‘Wubya’ finally said that he never answered questions about his cannabis use because he was worried the youth might follow his example and choose to indulge in cannabis. If you have ever heard the baffling things Wubya has said during his term, the use of cannabis is evident.
James Madison
Anyone with a minor amount of political science and constitutional law knowhow recognizes James Madison as America’s true forefather. When you consider all of President Madison’s budding (pun intended) ingenuities, it was evident that he possesses a creative spark. This spark of creativity and innovation stemmed (pun also intended) from smoking weed. The cannabis industry owes a heaping amount of thanks to President Madison’s forward-thinking regarding cannabis and cannabis cultivation.
There are more presidents who have engaged in cannabis-related activities. However, these are the most notable presidents. Be sure to smoke one for your favorite president on this list!