Pete Buttigieg Admits Smoking Pot a 'Handful of Times'

Mayor Pete Buttigieg admitted Wednesday to smoking marijuana a “handful of times” in his life.

“I have,” he replied when asked by reporters if he had ever used the drug, according to the Associated Press. “A handful of times a long time ago.”

The South Bend mayor visited a legal marijuana garden and dispensary in Las Vegas, Nevada, prompting questions from reporters about his use of the drug.

He praised the atmosphere of the facility, comparing it to an Apple store.

“When you go into a place like this, it almost reminds you of an Apple store, how tidy and carefully it’s laid out, knowledgeable employees and a legitimate business that still struggles because federal policy hasn’t caught up,” he said.

Buttigieg wants to legalize the drug nationwide if he is elected president and release prisoners who were caught and prosecuted for using the drug.

He spoke with the legalized marijuana entrepreneurs about the problems they faced with their business, as it was still illegal federally. He also joked that he was still “on the clock” and did not purchase any of the products at the facility.

Buttigieg visited the facility as he continues his effort to emphasize his differences with other top-tier Democrats running for president.

Vice President Joe Biden has not embraced marijuana legalization but has said that it should be a misdemeanor.