George Boyle
In 2016, Malia Obama, the eldest daughter of former US President Barack Obama, was pictured smoking what appeared to be a joint at a music festival. This sparked controversy and led to discussions about the potential impact on the Democratic Party's electoral prospects. Malia has also been the subject of false stories involving marijuana, including an internship termination and an arrest. Barack Obama has previously acknowledged his own past drug use, and Malia's mother, Michelle Obama, has spoken about the challenges of raising daughters in the public eye, including body image issues and online criticism.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Malia Obama |
| Father's Name | Barack Obama |
| Year | 2016, 2017 |
| Age | 18, 19 |
| University | Harvard University |
| Smoking | Cannabis, weed, pot |
| Reaction | Mixed |
| Fact | Cannabis is decriminalized in Illinois |
| Satire | DailyNewsExplorer.com, ourlandofthefree.com |
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What You'll Learn
Malia Obama was pictured smoking a joint at a music festival
In 2016, Malia Obama, the daughter of former US President Barack Obama, was pictured smoking a suspected cannabis joint at the Lollapalooza music festival in Chicago, Illinois. The then 18-year-old, who was set to attend Harvard University the following year, was captured in a nine-second video published by Radar Online. The video evoked mixed reactions from the public, with some commenting on her lack of privacy as the former first daughter and drawing comparisons with President Donald Trump's children.
Cannabis is decriminalised in the state of Illinois, and individuals are permitted to possess up to 10 grams of the substance. Malia Obama's actions sparked discussions about the legal status of cannabis and the role of the president in influencing drug policies. Some commentators expressed their support for her, arguing that smoking weed is not inherently bad and that she deserves her privacy.
It is important to note that Barack Obama has previously acknowledged his own past drug use. In 2006, he admitted to using marijuana and wrote about it in his 1995 memoir, Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance. While Malia Obama's actions sparked conversations about youth and drug use, the focus was also on the double standard applied to the children of public figures, particularly those with opposing political views.
There have been other instances where Malia Obama was rumoured to be involved with marijuana use. In 2017, satirical publications circulated bogus stories about her alleged arrest in Chicago for purchasing weed edibles and enough pot to "make thug rapper Snoop Dogg look like an amateur." Another story falsely claimed that she was fired from an internship at the U.S. Embassy in Spain for smoking marijuana on the roof of the building. These stories were later debunked by FactCheck.org.
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Obama's opposition criticised his parenting
In 2016, Malia Obama, the daughter of former US President Barack Obama, was pictured smoking what appeared to be a joint at a music festival. This incident sparked criticism from Obama's opposition, particularly Republicans and Conservatives, who used it to question his parenting skills. They argued that Obama's inability to prevent his daughter from smoking weed reflected poorly on his abilities as a father.
While some people agreed that smoking weed was problematic, others disagreed, noting that the stigma around marijuana use was outdated and that the negative consequences were often exaggerated. Additionally, it was recognised that Obama's daughter was an adult and therefore responsible for her own choices.
The controversy surrounding Malia's smoking incident is not the only challenge Obama has faced regarding his parenting. During his presidency, Obama and his wife, Michelle, had to navigate the complexities of raising their daughters in the public eye. In a recent episode of Michelle Obama's podcast, IMO With Michelle Obama & Craig Robinson, she revealed that she and her husband disagreed on certain parenting decisions.
For example, Michelle admitted that she had once punished their daughter Malia for an entire semester, a decision that Barack questioned. Michelle acknowledged that the punishment was too harsh and that she had been learning and navigating the unique challenges of parenting in the White House without any role models in a similar position.
Despite the criticism and challenges, Obama has expressed his desire for his daughters to grow up in a world with no limits on their dreams and to become compassionate, committed women who contribute positively to society.
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False claims that Malia was arrested for buying weed edibles
There have been several false claims about Malia Obama, the daughter of former US President Barack Obama, being arrested for buying weed edibles. These stories are completely fabricated and have been flagged as potential fake news by Facebook users. The stories claim that Malia was arrested in Chicago for buying weed edibles and a large amount of marijuana from her "thug friends". These stories first appeared on satirical websites like DailyNewsExplorer.com and Ourlandofthefree.com, which published follow-up fake stories about Malia Obama and her alleged drug use.
One of the stories claimed that Malia was caught buying weed edibles and marijuana from two of her friends, with the amount of pot being enough to make rapper Snoop Dogg "look like an amateur". This story was accompanied by a digitally altered image from a 2013 news report about dogfighting, which was falsely presented as proof of Malia's arrest. The website that published this story, The Last Line of Defense (The Resistance), has a disclaimer stating that it is a satirical publication and that its sources and quotes are not reliable.
Another story claimed that Malia was arrested in Chicago and charged with wanton endangerment of animals, public intoxication, and possession of a controlled substance. This story, published by the fake news site "Land of the Free", falsely claimed that Malia had slipped away from her Secret Service detail and was found in the company of older men when police arrived at a dogfighting incident in a park. The story also alleged that Malia's "weed habit" had worsened, leading to her arrest in a massive marijuana bust.
These false stories about Malia Obama's arrest for buying weed edibles and marijuana are not true and have been debunked by fact-checking websites like FactCheck.org and Snopes.com. While there have been reports of Malia smoking cannabis, there is no credible evidence to support the claims of her arrest for drug-related offenses.
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False claims that Malia was fired from an internship for smoking marijuana
In 2017, a story circulated that Malia Obama, the daughter of former US President Barack Obama, had been fired from an internship at the US Embassy in Spain for smoking marijuana. The story, which was published on the website DailyNewsExplorer.com, claimed that Obama was caught by embassy security "on the roof of the building burning a doobie and playing with the Ambassador's carrier pigeons". However, this story is false and has been debunked by FactCheck.org. There were no legitimate news reports about Malia Obama being fired from her internship, and the website that published the story is a satirical publication that presents fiction as fact.
The story about Malia Obama being fired from her internship for smoking marijuana is not the only bogus story about her alleged drug use. In 2016, a nine-second video published by Radar Online appeared to show her smoking a cannabis joint at the Lollapalooza music festival in Chicago, Illinois. The video evoked mixed reactions from the public, with some people expressing admiration for the former first daughter, while others criticised her for missing Hillary Clinton's speech at the Democratic National Convention to attend the festival.
It's important to note that while the stories about Malia Obama's drug use have been widely circulated, they are not indicative of her actual behaviour or character. The public and media scrutiny that she has faced as the daughter of a former US President is intense and often unfair. It's also worth mentioning that Barack Obama has been open about his own past drug use, admitting in 2006 that he smoked pot as a kid and writing about it in his 1995 memoir, Dreams from My Father.
The false claims about Malia Obama's drug use and internship termination highlight the challenges of privacy and public image faced by the children of prominent figures. While some people may use these incidents to criticise her or her father, it's important to remember that these stories are often exaggerated or fabricated to suit a particular narrative or agenda. As such, it's crucial to verify information from reliable sources before forming opinions or judgments about public figures, especially those who are still in the process of establishing their independent identities, like Malia Obama.
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Barack Obama's history with drug use
In 2017, a video clip of former first daughter Malia Obama, purportedly blowing smoke rings, went viral. This led to discussions about Barack Obama's history with drug use.
Obama has been candid about his history with marijuana use, which he says peaked during his high school years in Hawaii. He has also admitted to using cocaine in the past. In his memoir, "Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance," published in 1995, Obama wrote about his experiences with drug use:
> "I had learned not to care. I blew a few smoke rings, remembering those years. Pot had helped, and booze; maybe a little blow when you could afford it."
> "I smoked [marijuana] in a white classmate's sparkling new van... I got high for just the opposite effect, something that could push questions of who I was out of my mind."
Obama's drug use was a topic of discussion during his 2008 presidential campaign, with some suggesting that it could be used against him by his opponents. However, Obama openly discussed his past drug use and even used it as a way to connect with young audiences and push for reforms in drug sentencing laws. As President, Obama recognised that substance use disorders are a critical public health issue and his administration prioritised addressing the prescription opioid and heroin epidemic.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Barack Obama has two daughters, Malia and Sasha.
In 2016, Malia Obama was pictured smoking what some suspected to be a joint at a music festival. However, others claimed it looked like a flavoured cigar.
The photos evoked mixed reactions from the public. Obama's opposition used the photos as an example of how bad Obama was as a father. However, some people disagreed that smoking weed was a problem.
Yes, there were two bogus stories about Malia Obama and weed. One story claimed that she was arrested in Chicago for buying weed edibles and another story claimed that she was fired from an internship at the U.S. Embassy in Spain for smoking marijuana. Both stories were published on satirical websites.
