10 Influential People Who Support Cannabis Legalization

What Celebrities Love To Smoke Pot? from CannabisNet on Vimeo.

Looking for a mentor to look up to in the cannabis industry is easy. There are thousands of unnamed people working hard behind the scenes in whatever way they can to help legalize the plant. There are entrepreneurs, farmers, budtenders, and many other humble yet prolific roles in the industry who help make access to the plant easier in their own simple way, every day.

Then there are the celebrities and influential people who are using their power to make this world a better place through legalization.

These are the 10 most influential people who support cannabis legalization:

Bernie Sanders (Vermont Senator; former presidential candidate): While many American politicians continue to be on the anti-cannabis side of the debate, Bernie Sanders actually proposed a bill back in 2015 that would help end the federal prohibition of cannabis. The sad part is that his bill didn’t receive the support it needed, although a similar bill has just been proposed by Tom Garrett and now it has some bipartisan support. Sanders was the only presidential candidate who was open about endorsing cannabis legalization, and he has some pretty epic tweets to show for it.
Dalai Lama (Tibetan Buddhist Leader): Although his religion forces him to shun the use of both drugs and alcohol, the Dalai Lama has been open and supportive about medical cannabis use, acknowledging that there are instances where science can provide proof that the plant can heal.
Woody Harrelson (Actor): Hollywood is chockfull of famous cannabis users and even celebrity entrepreneurs, but Woody Harrelson stands out among the few. His advocacy work has given him a seat in the board of NORML, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. Harrelson was also one of the first applicants for opening a medical dispensary in Hawaii last year, although he was denied by the state.
Justin Trudeau (Canadian Prime Minister): Thanks to JT, Canada has been so progressive with legal cannabis that it will soon be able to give the United States a run for its money in developing an effective framework for regulation. Thanks to Trudeau, recreational cannabis may be legal in Canada by 2018, completing his pledge to legalize cannabis when he was still in office. This has had an extremely lucrative impact on the major cannabis growers in Canada of course; the grass is definitely greener over there.
Snoop Dogg (Rapper): Few celebrities have been as outspoken (and loyal) in terms of cannabis legalization and all its health benefits as Snoop has. He’s been a long-time advocate and also dabbles in cannabis businesses here and there.
Jesse Ventura (Former Governor of Minnesota): Once a wrestler, politician Jesse Ventura is one of the biggest supporters of legalization in the USA. He even wrote a book entitled Jesse Ventura’s Marijuana Manifesto, making it clear that he thinks the plant should be legalized for both medical and recreational reasons.
Morgan Freeman (Actor): The actor famous for giving God a voice has been vocal about cannabis legalization. He’s said: “Marijuana has many useful uses. I have fibromyalgia pain in this arm, and the only thing that offers any relief is marijuana. They’re talking about kids who have grand mal seizures, and they’ve discovered that marijuana eases that down to where these children can have a life. That right there, to me, says: Legalize it across the board!”
Jack Nicholson (Actor): The world-famous award-winning actor may not exactly be as vocal as his colleagues when it comes to the plant, but he has said this: “I don’t tend to say this publicly, but we can see it’s [marijuana] a curative thing… More than 85% of men incarcerated in America are on drug-related offenses. It costs $40,000 a year for every prisoner. If they were really serious about the economy there would be a sensible discussion about legalization.”
Ricky Williams (Former NFL Player): Cannabis is still such a touchy subject in the sports arena, and those who speak for it truly deserve to be recognized. Drug testing in athletes continues to be a controversial issue especially in the NFL, but among all the players Ricky Williams has been the most supportive of its use, advocating legalization and getting into a few cannabis businesses.
Hugh Hefner (CEO of Playboy Enterprises): Hugh Hefner has built an empire out of raising eyebrows (and erections), so it comes as no surprise that he choose to be supportive of a topic that’s been plaguing America for a long time: cannabis legalization. He has said: “I don’t think there’s any question that marijuana should be legalized because to not legalize it, we’re paying the same price we paid for prohibition.”