Richard Branson invites parents to smoke with their children

Billionaire Richard Branson encourages parents to smoke with their children if they can.

The founder of Virgin said at a cannabis entrepreneurs' conference in Chicago that smoking together can help strengthen the bond between parents and children.

«If they’re going to smoke a joint, smoke it with them. Don’t let them get high on their own,» he said during the conference. A father of two, he admits to having smoked with his children, who are now adults.

In a 2007 interview with GQ, Richard Branson said, «I haven’t tried skunk. But I have smoked some good weed with my son. During his gap year, we learned to surf and would smoke in the evenings—we’d laugh for hours.».

In the same interview, he stated that it was Keith Richards, the Rolling Stones« guitarist, who taught him how to ride. He also smoked with Peter Tosh, whom he wanted to sign to his Virgin Records label. He succeeded after several attempts. The former Wailers member released his album »Legalize It,” one of the greatest reggae hits of all time, with Virgin Records. During a dinner at the White House, he even offered Barack Obama a joint. The president flatly refused.

The billionaire is a staunch advocate for international legal reform of drug policies. In addition to his numerous social media posts on the subject, he is part of an international group of members who have come together to form a commission on drugs, which is urging organizations such as the United Nations to end their “war on drugs” policy.

In April 2016, UNGASS had, in fact, convened in an effort to bring about a change in international drug policy, specifically to prioritize health and harm reduction over criminalization and drug eradication. Although the Commission ultimately did not change its stance, it did acknowledge that «prevention and government regulation are the best ways to reduce the negative effects of drug use.».

Since 2015, Richard Branson has supported Nick Clegg, a British Member of Parliament who advocates for the decriminalization of cannabis and the legalization of medical cannabis.