Bill Gates voted for marijuana legalization in Washington state, says illegal drug trade could be avoided

Marijuana is one of those things you just can't escape and even some of the most unlikely supporters or users of the potent plant actually are, including Bill Gates.

That's right. Mr. Microsoft himself recently sat down with BuzzFeed and confessed that he voted to legalize marijuana in his home state of Washington.

In the interview, Gates said that he voted in favor of the ballot measure during the 2012 election. Who would've thought?

Although he said he did not expect the measure to pass, voting in its favor was worth a try.

"It's an experiment, and it's probably good to have a couple states try it out to see before you make that national policy," Gates said.

Gates is heavily involved in public health causes and was even included in the Marijuana Policy Project's list of the 50 Most Influential Marijuana Users. Back in 1994, Stephen Manes wrote Gates' biography which states that "marijuana was the pharmaceutical of choice" for the Microsoft founder and billionaire philanthropist.

In his interview, Gates declined to say whether he has smoked pot.

Whether he uses the herb or not, Gates stands firm in his belief that a key effect of the new law would be its impact on illegal drug trafficking.

"[They're] going to make a lot less money, and some of the perverse things about the illegal drug trade will be avoided," he noted.

Washington's marijuana law went into effect this year. The law passed in 2012 with 56 percent of the vote. A Gallup poll released in October found 58 percent of voters said marijuana should be legalized.

Do you agree with Bill Gates? Should marijuana be legalized?