It is interesting to think of how many American citizens smoke or have smoked marijuana in their adult lives (yes, not in grade school or high school, but even after what we consider our experimental stage). Conservative figures places this percentage around 43%. So nearly half of Americans have given marijuana a shot or regularly (or socially) smoke. Now that medicinal marijuana is quickly becoming legalized throughout the United States, the numbers of adult cannabis users will surely increase. Yet is hard to put a face to the everyday cannabis user so I have put together a few lists of the plant’s more famous users. We can define these into three groups: politicians, celebrities, athletes.

Politicians: George Washington was arguably one of the first marijuana farmers in the United States. It is not actually known if smoked the plant itself, though he did cultivate the crop for the industrial use of hemp. Abraham Lincoln has been quoted as enjoying pipes full of sweet hemp. More recent politicians who have admitted recreational use of the drug (either now or in the past) include Al Gore, John Edwards, Michael Bloomberg, Newt Gingrich, Evalyn Murphy, Sarah Palin, and current President Barack Obama. Independents, Democrats, and Republicans all have different agendas when it comes to marijuana policies, yet at least it seems all of them have tried a puff here or there at some point in their lives.

Celebrities: When it comes to Hollywood or the music industry, it might be best to list those who don’t use cannabis. So many celebrities and artists use cannabis to spark creativity and curve anxiety that its use is often not even looked down upon among celebrity crowds. Actors/Actresses include Woody Harrelson, Megan Fox, Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp, Jennifer Aniston, James Franco, and Cameron Diaz. Musicians include Snoop Dogg, Willie Nelson, John Mayer, Jimmy Buffet, JayZ, and everyone else in the music industry; at least that’s what I believe. Comedians include Bill Hicks (deceased but amazing, look him up), Chris Rock, David Chappelle, Steve Martin, Sarah Silverman, and I’m sure every other comedian out there (how else do you make funny shit up if you do not smoke marijuana every now and then?)
 

Athletes: Ricky Williams, the all star running back left the NFL to smoke weed for a few years. Michael Phelps, who won the most gold medals ever as a swimmer, was caught smoking weed at a party (highly doubtful that was his first time). NBA players include Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Rasheed Wallace, Allen Iverson, and Charles Oakley. Oakley has stated that over half of NBA players smoke weed on game day, both before and after games. In 1998 Canadian snowboarder Ross Rebagliati temporarily lost his gold medal for testing positive for marijuana. Boxer Sugar Ray Leonard, MLB pitcher Tim Lincecum, Iditarod champion Lance Mackey, and nearly every competitor in the summer and winter X games has been linked with smoking marijuana.

As you can see, cannabis use has some famous faces linked to it. It appears some of the most talented athletes, musicians, actors, and politicians often find solace in the occasional cannabis session. It also makes it hard to argue that stoners and pot users are just couch surfers and lazy weedheads who simply want to get blazed and veg out.