More and more people are onboard with legalization.
That includes an ever-growing number of celebrities.
But some celebrities have been advocating for the legalization of marijuana for decades.
Long before it was ‘socially acceptable.’
Those are celebrity advocates for marijuana for will find in the list below.
They are the most famous advocates, because they are the most vocal and because they have been at it for such a long time.
Celebrity Advocates For Marijuana
All of the following celebrities have made cannabis advocacy part of their identity. It is not the only thing they are known for (apart from Herer, but it is a big part of their personal brand.
Jack Herer
Jack Herer is considered the ‘Father of the legalize-cannabis-movement’. He is also rightly called the ‘Emperor of Hemp’ (because he wrote a children’s novel called The Emperor Wears No Clothes).
Herer is the founder of the organization called HEMP: an acronym for “Help End Marijuana Prohibition”. He has helped create state-wise cannabis ballot initiatives to get marijuana legalized in different states.
The talented man is known to have completely immersed himself in the study of all things related to marijuana. He even invented various cannabis smoking accessories. To honor him, the cannabis community has named a marijuana strain after him.
Morgan Freeman
Morgan Freeman needs no introduction. The actor, producer, and narrator has had a successful Hollywood career spanning almost five decades. He has also won several awards including the Best Actor and the Best Supporting Actor Academy Awards.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Freeman simply “cannot understand why cannabis isn’t legal in all states and countries”. He openly supports its legalization and has often talked about his role in the legalization of the cannabis movement.
He believes that medicinal marijuana has more uses than alcohol and has admitted to “eating, drinking, smoking, and snorting it” to manage his arm pain.
The 14th Dalai Lama
The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, is a simple Buddhist monk famous for his commitment to non-violence and the Tibetan Freedom Movement.
In 2013, he told Mexican cannabis supporters that he promotes the use of legal, medicinal marijuana. He did, however, mention that he “isn’t keen on promoting recreational marijuana.”
He reiterated that he does not want people to use cannabis to “get a crazy mind” but to use it for its pharmaceutical benefits. Nobody is perfect, I suppose.
Note that Dalai Lama himself has never used cannabis and prefers using certain modern medical treatments in addition to 2000-year-old traditional medicine.
Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson is not just a Grammy Award-winning country singer and songwriter, but also an actor, writer, entrepreneur, TV and film producer, record producer, sessions musician, and environmentalist. To add to this long list of accomplishments, Willie is a staunch marijuana advocate.
In 2016, Nelson launched a premium cannabis lifestyle brand with a New York-based firm. He has been quite vocal about his views on legalizing and using the drug for decades.
In 2019, there was a rumor that he had quit smoking weed due to breathing issues, but a spokesperson confirmed that Mr. Nelson still uses cannabis tinctures and edibles.
Danny DeVito
Danny DeVito is a comedian, an actor, a producer, and a director. He is also a politician and describes himself as the GOP’s “first candidate in Pennsylvania to support the full legalization of cannabis”. DeVito is hoping that other Republicans will also join him in this movement.
DeVito advocates getting the drug legalized in Pennsylvania and making it available commercially. He believes in the numerous health benefits of marijuana and feels that legalizing it will create many jobs for people.
Moreover, he thinks that the income generated by marijuana sales can go towards tax relief for small business owners and property owners in the state.
Bernie Sanders
Bernie Sanders is an American politician and a senior activist. He is accredited with creating a leftward shift in the Democratic Party after his 2016 presidential campaign.
Sander’s official website calls for the legalization of marijuana. The senior senator also wants to vacate and expunge past marijuana convictions.
He believes that the War on Drugs has failed and many communities have been hit hard by it. Sanders wants to reinvest the revenue generated by legal marijuana to help lift up these affected communities. He has also promised not to turn marijuana into another big tobacco industry.
Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John was a British Australian singer and actress. She battled advanced breast cancer from 1992 onward. In 2017, her doctors told her that the cancer had spread to her spine.
Olivia started using home-grown marijuana to counter the pain and also help her sleep better. Her positive experience with the plant-based drug prompted her to fund research on medicinal cannabis so that other cancer patients could benefit from it.
The cannabis community was grateful to have Olivia as an advocate calling for the legalization of medicinal marijuana. Unfortunately, the Grease star and influential woman in cannabis passed away from the disease in August 2022.
Michael J. Fox
Actor Michael J. Fox started the Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) to find a cure for Parkinson’s Disease (PD), since the actor himself has been suffering from it since 1991. As part of this research, he recommends “the elimination of federal barriers to research medicinal cannabis.”
Here is how the MJFF is promoting and spreading awareness about medicinal marijuana’s benefits: it is trying to get bills passed in the Senate to remove barriers that impede access to the drug to researchers.
It is also tracking these bills and taking measures to educate Congressional staff about the benefits of marijuana for PD patients. The organization is taking measures to get the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs authorized to participate in federally funded cannabis studies.
Sir Richard Branson
Virgin CEO Sir Richard Branson has penned a heartfelt blog on the legalization of marijuana. He says that it is an effort he has long supported.
Sir Branson believes in marijuana’s medicinal and life-saving benefits and believes that it can generate more revenue in the form of tax for the UK government.
At the New West Summit, the billionaire and tech entrepreneur asked attendees to “fight hard to get cannabis legalized, decriminalized, and regulated” across the world.
Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg has always advocated for the use and legalization of cannabis, through his music and his celebrity status. The rapper has written several songs dedicated to the plant.
He also owns a cannabis brand called Leafs By Snoop and recently launched a CBD beverage (Do It Fluid) as a cannabis smoking alternative.
Snoop has even funded many cannabis-based companies including Casa Verde Capital, an online ordering platform called Dutchie, and a marijuana-related news agency Merry Jane, which he himself founded.
Famous Cannabis Advocates: Final Thoughts
All of the above celebrities have worked tirelessly toward the legalization of marijuana. But they are far from the only ones to do so. They are simply the ones who are most famous for their advocacy.
At least they are the names I thought of. I’m sure you might think of plenty of others I completely forgot about. If you know of any other famous marijuana advocates that deserve a spot on this list, please let me know in a comment below. I will be happy to add them in a future update.
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