Businessman turned presidential candidate Tom Steyer says he's "smoked marijuana outside the country." In a interview posted at Twitter, Steyer answered the question: "Have you smoked marijuana?"
"I have smoked marijuana outside the country," he said without naming which country and when this occurred.
"I have never owned marijuana," Steyer continued. "I'm in favor of marijuana being legal. I'm from the state of California. If I choose not to smoke marijuana I don't want to be criticized for it. But what I'm in favor of is legalizing marijuana both for medical and recreation."
Q: Have you ever smoked marijuana?
— marisa kabas (@MarisaKabas) October 28, 2019
Tom Steyer: pic.twitter.com/wgICwuqr2r
Saying that he smoked outside the U.S. is the best dodge since Bill Clinton said he smoked marijuana, but didn't inhale it during the 1992 campaign.
The New York-born Steyer has used his considerable fortune to break into the Democratic Party sweepstakes. Steyer has previously said he's for "legalizing marijuana," but as the owner of Beneficial State Bank, a community-based development bank in Oakland, CA, he recognizes that federal law prevents banks from doing business with cannabis companies. "We know that for us to actually finance marijuana businesses would mean that we would lose the support of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation," he added. At his website, Steyer maintains, "We must reform our criminal justice system to reflect the rule of law for all, not just those powerless to defend themselves."
Steyer qualified for the next Democrats debate on December 19 along with Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Peter Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar.
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