What can famous people teach us about cannabis? Just #OwnIt.
We’ve come a long way from “But I didn’t inhale.”
People are finally opening up about cannabis in 2018, and plenty of entertainers, artists, athletes, and even politicians (!!!) are piling on the bandwagon. That trail was blazed long ago by advocates like Snoop Dogg, Tommy Chong and Willie Nelson, but with legalization sweeping the country, a new generation of celebrities is being far more open and vocal—like most adults, as we’ve recently found.
| SEE ALSO: 5 predictions for legal adult-use cannabis in California |
With legal adult-use in now nine states (most recently California) and one very big 4/20 celebration behind us, the groundswell of support behind cannabis is growing by the day.
Here are 10 celebrities whose recent advocacy might surprise you.
Chelsea Handler.
While Handler—well-known for her partying-filled memoirs—shouldn’t be a big surprise here, the comedian has talked a lot about drinking, not so much about marijuana. But after California’s legalization (are we sensing a trend here?), the talk show host posted a picture to Instagram of herself surrounded by marijuana plants.
While Handler has become increasingly involved and politically outspoken, she’s now setting her sights on cannabis. Handler’s planning on starting her own line, one that focuses on women and microdosing, by the end of 2018.
Charlize Theron.
Like Handler, Theron isn’t super surprising–especially if you’ve seen the paparazzi picture of her smoking out of an apple from back in the day. But during press tours for Gringo, the Academy Award winning actress said she was a “a wake-and-baker for most of my life.” While she’s no longer a daily smoker, Theron isn’t ruling it out, especially if it can help with her insomnia. Who doesn’t stan a medical marijuana queen!
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Montel Williams.
Richard Branson.
Cynthia Nixon.
While the Sex and the City girls didn’t smoke weed all that often, one of their own, Cynthia Nixon, is calling for legalization in New York. The actress who recently announced her plans to run for governor has been actively talking about her platform. And one of her biggest (other than fix our trash trains!) is legalizing marijuana. Nixon’s reasoning for doing so is two-tiered: Taxation would benefit the state. And she rightfully acknowledges that it’s also a justice issue.
Sir Patrick Stewart.
We shouldn’t assume that when Patrick Stewart starred in the Starz comedy series Blunt Talk meant that he smoked weed–but it was certainly a hint. Since starring in the show in 2015, Captain Picard has been talking about his personal cannabis use, saying he uses it every day to tackle arthritis symptoms. He’s used his platform to to support an initiative from Oxford University that will explore medical marijuana, the first of its kind in the UK.
Ricky Williams.
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Most people remember Ricky Williams as the Heisman-winning Texas running back whose otherwise dazzling NFL career with the Saints and Dolphins has a couple of missing seasons—the first being 2004, which he sat out ostensibly because he wanted to smoke marijuana, and the second being 2006, for testing positive for it. Williams just plain loves cannabis, but what he’s done with that passion has far deeper depths. Williams has been studying Eastern herbal medicine all these years, and where these ancient remedies interact with cannabis. It’s the founding principle of Real Wellness, his own cannabis line that launched earlier this year.
Zayn Malik.
Gwyneth Paltrow.
Speaking of people who seem like they wouldn’t be on this list, GOOP (given name: Gwyneth Paltrow) herself has become cannabis-friendly. The actress/lifestyle guru in a recent interview for her newly launched magazine talked about her interest in medical marijuana–and yes, she’s also down. “Oh, I’ve tried it, and yes, I inhaled!” And her interest in weed doesn’t stop there: You can buy a pipe in GOOP’s “Between the Sheets” section.
Joe Montana.
Joe Montana wouldn’t have gotten away with this in his playing days: The multi-Super Bowl winning quarterback and NFL Hall of Famer invested in the Canadian marijuana media company HERB in 2017. While Montana has invested in the industry, he’s also spoken out about the benefits of marijuana to Playboy. “Legalization is picking up steam on a global level and I feel like now is the time to spread information about the curing capabilities of this plant.” Has Joe Cool ever been wrong?