N.J.'s Murphy on Pot: Just a Few Tokes, But He No Longer Smokes
N.J.'s Murphy on Pot: Just a Few Tokes, But He No Longer Smokes
(Bloomberg) -- New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said in a Twitter post that he tried marijuana “literally once or twice many years ago” and has no desire to toke again.
The governor, a Democrat who’s expanding the state’s medical marijuana program and supports legalizing recreational pot, was asked by a reporter on May 2 whether he’d ever used the drug. Murphy, 60, a retired Goldman Sachs Group Inc. senior director and U.S. ambassador to Germany, said he had a preference for “Scotch or Irish whisky.”
“I’ve never been a marijuana guy,” he said. “This is for social justice."
When pressed to respond, he didn’t.
The exchange got attention on Twitter, where several people said they didn’t care whether he smoked. A local Democrat who has considered running for governor, Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, said Murphy should just answer the question.
“I don’t understand why politicians are always so cagey about this,” Fulop said on Twitter. “It is what it is + you are who you are - no big deal. 1) I’m for legalization 2) social justice is important to me as well 3) I used to smoke tons of weed (ok maybe not tons since we are talking about quantities).”
To contact the reporter on this story: Stacie Sherman in Trenton at sbabula@bloomberg.net.
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Flynn McRoberts at fmcroberts1@bloomberg.net, Stephen Merelman
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