List of United States politicians who have acknowledged cannabis use

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First President of the United States George Washington, one of the Founding Fathers known to have grown hemp prior to prohibition

Cannabis is a drug and, as hemp, a source for fibers, oil and seed. Prior to its prohibition, U.S. politicians known for growing hemp include some of the nation's Founding Fathers and presidents. Politicians who have admitted to recreational use of the drug during prohibition include mayors, governors, members of the House of Representatives, Senators and presidents.

List of politicians who farmed hemp

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by expanding it with reliably sourced entries.
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Former President of the United States Thomas Jefferson
Name Lifetime Highest position Party Ref.
Benjamin Franklin 1706–1790 President of the Supreme Executive Council of Pennsylvania Independent [1]
Thomas Jefferson 1743–1826 President of the United States Democratic-Republican [2]
James Madison 1751–1836 President of the United States Democratic-Republican [3]
George Washington 1732–1799 President of the United States Independent [2]
Parties

      Democratic-Republican       Whig       Democratic       Republican       Independent

During prohibition

In the U.S., cannabis was initially grown for industrial reasons, though recreational use spread quickly during the 20th century. Harry J. Anslinger, Commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, responded to political pressure to ban marijuana at a nationwide level. The Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 created an expensive excise tax, and included penalty provisions and elaborate rules of enforcement to which marijuana, cannabis, or hemp handlers were subject. Mandatory sentencing and increased punishment were enacted when the United States Congress passed the Boggs Act of 1952 and the Narcotics Control Act of 1956.[4]

During the counterculture of the 1960s, attitudes towards marijuana and drug abuse policy changed as use became widespread among "white middle-class college students".[5] In Leary v. United States (1969), the Supreme Court held the Marihuana Tax Act to be unconstitutional since it violated the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution privilege against self-incrimination. In response, Congress passed the Controlled Substances Act as Title II of the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970, which repealed the Marihuana Tax Act.[6] In 1972, the National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse concluded that marijuana should be decriminalized, but that public use and driving while intoxicated should remain illegal. By the end of the decade, several states had decriminalized the drug, while many others weakened their laws against cannabis use.

However, a wave of conservatism during the 1980s allowed president Ronald Reagan to accelerate the War on Drugs during his presidency, prompting anti-drug campaigns such as the "Just Say No" campaign of First Lady Nancy Reagan. Federal penalties for cultivation, possession, or transfer of marijuana were increased by the Comprehensive Crime Control Act (1984), the Anti-Drug Abuse Act (1986), and the Anti-Drug Abuse Amendment Act (1988).[7] Since California voters passed the Proposition 215 in 1996, which legalized medical cannabis, several states have followed suit. However, United States v. Oakland Cannabis Buyers' Cooperative (2001) rejected the common-law medical necessity defense to crimes enacted under the Controlled Substances Act because Congress concluded that cannabis has "no currently accepted medical use", and Gonzales v. Raich (2005) concluded that the Commerce Clause of the Constitution allowed the federal government to ban the use of cannabis, including medical use. Today, cannabis remains classified as a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act, and possession is punishable by up to one year in jail and a minimum fine of $1,000 for a first conviction.[8]

Use by politicians during prohibition

Politicians that have admitted to recreational use during prohibition include mayors, governors, members of the House of Representatives, Senators and presidents.

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by expanding it with reliably sourced entries.
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Former Vice President of the United States Al Gore
File:Official portrait of Barack Obama.jpg
President of the United States Barack Obama
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Former Governor of Alaska Sarah Palin
A man wearing a white shirt
Former Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger
Name Lifetime Highest position Party Ref.
Bruce Babbitt b. 1938 Governor of Arizona, Secretary of the Interior Democratic [9]
Michael Bloomberg b. 1942 Mayor of New York City Independent [10]
Bill Bradley b. 1943 Senator from New Jersey Democratic [11]
George W. Bush b. 1946 President of the United States Republican [12]
Jeb Bush b. 1953 Governor of Florida Republican [13]
Jack Conway b. 1969 Attorney General of Kentucky Democratic [14]
Paul Cellucci 1948–2013 Governor of Massachusetts Republican [15]
Lincoln Chafee b. 1953 Senator from Rhode Island, Governor of Rhode Island Democratic [16]
Lawton Chiles 1930–1998 Senator from Florida, Governor of Florida Democratic [17]
Bill Clinton b. 1946 President of the United States Democratic [18]
Steve Cohen b. 1949 Member of the House of Representatives Democratic [19]
Andrew Cuomo b. 1957 Governor of New York Democratic [20]
Howard Dean b. 1948 Governor of Vermont, Chair of the Democratic National Committee Democratic [21]
Joseph DeNucci b. 1939 Auditor of Massachusetts Democratic [15]
Mary Donohue b. 1947 Lieutenant Governor of New York Republican [22]
John Edwards b. 1953 Senator from North Carolina Democratic [21]
Newt Gingrich b. 1943 Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Republican [9]
Al Gore b. 1948 Vice President of the United States Democratic [23]
Gary Johnson b. 1953 Governor of New Mexico Libertarian [24]
Joseph P. Kennedy II b. 1952 Member of the House of Representatives Democratic [15]
John Kerry b. 1943 Secretary of State Democratic [21]
Ed Koch 1924–2013 Member of the House of Representatives, Mayor of New York City Democratic [25]
Richard Lamm b. 1935 Governor of Colorado Democratic [26]
Connie Mack III b. 1940 Senator from Florida Republican [17]
Kyle E. McSlarrow b. 1960 Deputy Secretary of the Department of Energy Republican [27]
John Miller b. 1938 Member of the House of Representatives Republican [28]
Susan Molinari b. 1958 Member of the House of Representatives Republican [29]
Jim Moran b. 1945 Member of the House of Representatives Democratic [27]
Evelyn Murphy b. 1940 Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts Democratic [15]
Richard Neal b. 1949 Member of the House of Representatives Democratic [15]
Barack Obama b. 1961 President of the United States Democratic [30]
Sarah Palin b. 1964 Governor of Alaska Republican [31]
George Pataki b. 1945 Governor of New York Republican [20]
David Paterson b. 1954 Governor of New York Democratic [32]
Edward W. Pattison 1932–1990 Member of the House of Representatives Democratic [33]
Claiborne Pell 1918-2009 Senator from Rhode Island Democratic [9]
Dana Rohrabacher b.1947 Member of the House of Representatives Republican [34]
Rick Santorum b. 1958 Senator from Pennsylvania Republican [35]
Arnold Schwarzenegger b. 1947 Governor of California Republican [36]
William Scranton III b. 1947 Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania Republican [37]
Bill Thompson b. 1953 New York City Comptroller Democratic [38]
Peter G. Torkildsen b. 1958 Member of the House of Representatives Republican [15]
Jesse Ventura b. 1951 Governor of Minnesota Independent [39]
Bernie Sanders b. 1941 Senator from Vermont Independent [40]
Parties

      Democratic       Republican       Independent       Libertarian

See also

References

General
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Specific

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  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Schlosser 2003, p. 21
  5. ↑ Schlosser 2003, p. 22
  6. ↑ Pub. L. No. 91–513, 84 Stat. 1236 (October 27, 1973).
  7. ↑ Schlosser 2003, p. 25
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 15.5 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  25. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  26. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  28. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  29. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  30. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  31. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  32. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  33. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  34. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  35. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  36. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  37. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  38. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  39. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  40. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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