While the DEA failed to change its position on cannabis, a video emerged of the elder First Daughter apparently smoking a joint at Lollapalooza — because that’s what most 18-year-olds do at Lollapalooza.
In the 9 second video, posted by Radar Online, Malia Obama appears to take a quick puff off of a joint, then passes it on to a fellow concert-goer.
Her father, the President of The United States, has admitted to getting high in college — famously saying he “inhaled frequently and that was the point.” Former Democratic President Bill Clinton admitted to trying marijuana but claimed he “did not inhale.” His successor, President George W. Bush, a Republican, admitted that he “might have smoked some” during an interview with Jay Leno.
There was no press conference called to address Malia’s behavior, and aside from the usual conservative pundits and muckrakers, it isn’t even that big of a deal. Malia is headed to Harvard University, and a bit of pot isn’t going to have much of an impact on her education or future job prospects.
Cannabis possession is decriminalized in Illinois (Lollapalooza was held in Chicago); medical marijuana is available in Massachusetts, with two dispensaries operating in Cambridge (where Harvard’s campus is located). Washington D.C. has legalized cannabis for recreational use. Malia is growing up in a nation where, in many places, cannabis use is normal – particularly normal for an 18-year-old at Lollapalooza.