Former NBA Player Reveals He Smoked Marijuana Before Interviewing Kamala Harris, Jokes About Sneaking It into the White House
In a recent podcast appearance, former NBA player Matt Barnes, who co-hosts the “All the Smoke” podcast, revealed that he smoked marijuana before interviewing Vice President Kamala Harris. Barnes, a 14-year NBA veteran, joked that if Harris wins the presidency, he might try to “sneak something in” to the White House.
The interview, which took place on Barnes’ podcast, was notable for Harris’s reiteration of her support for legalizing marijuana. Harris emphasized that she believes people should not be going to jail for smoking weed and that it’s time to “stop criminalizing this behavior.” This marks the first time she has publicly stated her support for marijuana legalization as a presidential candidate.
Barnes, who was responding to questions about the interview on another podcast, “The Dan Le Batard Show,” explained that he didn’t smoke on-site during the interview but quipped about potentially sneaking marijuana into the White House if Harris wins. He later clarified that he was joking and didn’t actually plan to do so.
The interview with Harris touched on her record as a prosecutor and her views on criminal justice reform. Barnes and his co-host, Stephen Jackson, a fellow former NBA player, spoke with Harris for nearly 45 minutes, discussing topics such as the war on drugs and the need for legalization.
The conversation comes as the Democratic presidential nominee and her running mate, Tim Walz, have been vocal about their support for marijuana reform. Walz, who is the governor of Minnesota, has stated that he believes marijuana legalization is an issue that should be left to individual states, while Harris has advocated for federal legalization.
Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump has recently expressed support for federal marijuana rescheduling and marijuana banking access, although his administration’s record on cannabis has been criticized by the Harris-Walz campaign. The campaign has accused Trump of “brazen flip-flops” on cannabis, citing his administration’s efforts to crack down on marijuana during his presidency.
The posturing by presidential candidates comes as the federal government is considering a proposal to move marijuana to the less-restrictive Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act. The Department of Health and Human Services has recommended the change, but the Drug Enforcement Administration has scheduled a hearing on the proposal for December 2, after the presidential election.
