High-Profile Support for Legalisation
The weed industry relies on prominent people as their "brand ambassadors" to take the fight to Washington. Here are some of the most highly influential people who've weighed in on medical and recreational marijuana and voiced their opinions in favour of seeing the substance legalised.
Bernie Sanders- Senator and former presidential candidate.
Former presidential candidate and Senator Bernie Sanders submitted legislation in 2015 that had the power to end the federal prohibition of cannabis. Unfortunately, the bill had no support.
It's worth noting that similar bills have been introduced since that do have more support. However, it is still unlikely that they will progress far in Congress. The fact that the topic remains relevant is a baby step in the right direction for the cannabis industry.
Dalai Lama- Tibetan Buddhist Leader
Although the Dalai Lama adamantly opposes the use of drugs and alcohol, including recreational cannabis, at a question and answer session with former Mexican president Vicente Fox in 2013, his holiness commented that the exception to his beliefs would be the smoking of weed for "pharmaceutical virtues."
Jesse Ventura - Wrestling Star turned Politician.
 His book Jesse Ventura's Marijuana Manifesto suggests that cannabis should be legalised for medical and recreational purposes. Ventura has been a strong challenger of the war on drugs in the U.S and notes that the legalisation campaign has had a positive societal impact. He suggests that every state that's legalised weed has seen a decline in the use of opioids and heroin. This is the opposite of what critics have suggested would happen if weed were legalised.
Justin Trudeau- Canadian Prime Minister
The completion of an election pledge made years ago. Justin Trudeau introduced the Trudeau legislation that made recreational cannabis legal in Canada in 2018. One of his main motivations was the money legalisation would bring in, not just in business but also in tax. The Canadian government's estimates on legalising cannabis were that recreational would generate C$5- C$7 billion in annual revenue.
 Ricky Williams -- former All-Pro running back with the NFL
The former all-pro NFL running back is among the most avid supporters from the sports side of the equation. Aside from just advocating for the legalisation of cannabis in the U.S., Williams has become quite the entrepreneur. He partnered with legendary onliners Weedmaps to help medical marijuana patients discover medical dispensaries. Williams also partnered with the 420 Games, a series of weed-themed races and also cofounded a weed-friendly gym in San Francisco.
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Liz Filmer
