Actor and pot activist Tommy Chong has endorsed Sen. Bernie Sanders, who supports the decriminalization of recreational marijuana, over frontrunner Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary.
Chong recently debuted a public service announcement in support of the Vermont socialist, in which he compared Clinton to a marijuana plant that has lost all its “potency.”
In the ad, the comedian says: ”There is one candidate who stands head and shoulders above them all who has weathered many storms and is totally ready to be the commander in chief, or the commander in kush, as I like to say.”
He told CNN after making the PSA, “Bernie’s like a kush, like the best kind of weed you can get, because he’s the answer to all our problems.”
In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, the 77-year-old expounded on his support for Sanders, who he said is the only candidate to ensure income equality.
“When you play a game like Monopoly, when one person or a couple of people own everything, the other people go broke and there’s no more game, you see?” he said. “So Bernie is like this referee. He’s got no reason to be president other than to make sure that everybody plays by the same rules.”
Asked by Rolling Stone if he would vote for Clinton if she wins the party’s nomination, Chong replied: “I’ll tell you, if Bernie is not around, I’ll vote for Hillary. I’ll vote for any Democrat. But between Hillary and Bernie, Bernie wins with me.”
The Cheech & Chong star, who is again battling cancer, then criticized Sen. Ted Cruz, who won Monday’s Iowa Caucus. On Cruz, Chong said, “He has a good sense of humor. He’s funny. But he’s also devious. He reminds me of a rat in a cartoon. Shifty-eyed, like Wiley Coyote.”
Chong also described Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump as “Republican’s karma” in a separate interview.
“What Trump did, he sort of exposed the inner workings of the Republican mindset, and they can never put that genie back in the bottle, try as they may,” said Chong.
Chong concluded his interview with the publication by sharing criticism of President Obama, who he said could “do a lot more” in regards to reforms for drug offenders.
“In fact, I want him to pardon me so I can clear my record,” he said referencing his 2003 drug paraphernalia conviction, for which he spent nine months in prison.
Chong said he plans to file a petition with the pardon office, but he wants to “take care of Bernie first.”
The actor joins the “Artists for Bernie” group, which is comprised of more than 100 artist and other “cultural leaders” who have endorsed Sanders’ candidacy.