During Wednesday night's debate among 11 Republican presidential hopefuls, one of the topics that the GOP candidates discussed was marijuana legalization. After former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush admitted that he "smoked marijuana 40 years ago," the internet was quick to provide a number of memes depicting Bush enjoying weed.
The debate wasn't the first time Bush has mentioned his past enjoyment of the drug. In February, Bush told The Boston Globe that during his high school years at Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, he "smoked marijuana" and "drank alcohol." But hearing Bush admit his marijuana usage on a national debate stage was shocking to viewers — and savvy Photoshop users were quick to capitalize on Bush's remark.
Unfortunately, the discussion on marijuana wasn't all lighthearted — Carly Fiorina spoke about the loss of her child, Lori Ann Fiorina, to drug addiction in 2009. Still, it's nice to see that Bush has a sense of humor about his past — which The Boston Globe called "troubled" and "tumultuous" in the article that first detailed his drug usage. By following his statement with a sheepish "My mom's not happy that I just said that," Bush proved that he's not afraid to use his own experience, even if it's not one many people in his party would support, to shape his policy viewpoints.
