It comes as no surprise that a lot of popular artists and creative-types in the public sphere have used marijuana. Some even praise marijuana for its beneficial effects on their work!
Some celebrities even have their own recreational lines of marijuana -- like Willie's Reserve (Willie Nelson's line) -- but as it turns out, cravings for cannabis extend far beyond the realm of musicians and other kinds of artists. Here are some famous personalities you may have never guessed would ever touch the ganja! At least, we didn't think so. Maya Angelou -- When it came to "Mary Jane, hash, grass, gauge, weed, pot," she had "absolutely no fear," and recounted everything from dinner with her mother to long walks while high.
Benjamin Franklin -- At one time, Franklin's co-ambassador -- the soon-to-be President John Adams -- encountered him totally naked in a bath wearing a coonskin hat with an older female, and they were both exceptionally high.
Morgan Freeman -- The esteemed Morgan Freeman might have given up cigarettes a long time ago, but he insisted that he'd "never give up the ganja" during a 2003 interview with The Guardian.
John F. Kennedy -- "On the evening of July 16, 1962, according to [Washington Post executive] Jim Truitt, Kennedy and Mary Meyer smoked marijuana together. ...The president smoked three of the six joints Mary brought to him. At first he felt no effects. Then he closed his eyes and refused a fourth joint. 'Suppose the Russians did something now,' he said."
Bill Maher -- The television host made a solid point about pot's ridiculous state-by-state laws by sparking a horse-sized jay on Real Time to treat "glaucoma in his third eye."
Marilyn Monroe -- A home movie showing a relaxed Marilyn Monroe apparently smoking marijuana has surfaced, retrieved from an attic around 50 years after it was filmed.
Barack Obama -- Not only has President Barack Obama admitted to smoking marijuana in his life, he said he inhaled frequently. "That was the point," he said in 2006.
Sarah Palin -- Palin admitted to smoking marijuana in the past – when pot was legal for personal use in the state of Alaska.
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William Shakespeare -- Western literature's perhaps most-renowned contributor may have enjoyed an occasional hit of cannabis. In a study published in the South African Journal of Science, pipes from his garden had traces of marijuana on them.
Martha Stewart -- "Of course I know how to roll a joint."
We're not surprised that a lot of celebrities and public figures have tried marijuana (or religiously use it), but there were a few from this list that were surprising! This group, along with the hundreds of other names, have helped change the way our society views marijuana and the people that enjoy it.
Were you surprised by anyone on our list? If so please let us know on the comments below!
