Jeb Bush Admits To Smoking Pot - Then Tells His Mom He’s ‘Sorry’

"Forty years ago, I smoked marijuana and I admitted it,” he said.

ByABC News
September 16, 2015, 11:24 PM
Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush speaks during the Republican Presidential Debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif., on Sept. 16, 2015.
Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush speaks during the Republican Presidential Debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif., on Sept. 16, 2015.
AFP/Getty Images

— -- At the second Republican presidential debate, Jeb Bush acknowledged what no mother wants to hear.

"Forty years ago, I smoked marijuana and I admitted it,” Bush said. “I'm sure other people did it and didn't want to admit it in front of 40 million people.”

Perhaps knowing that his mother, former First Lady Barbara Bush, wouldn’t be pleased, he had to add an apology.

"My mom’s not happy that I just did. That’s true,” Bush said, to applause.

And, perhaps, for good measure, his campaign staff tweeted it out too.

Sorry Mom

— Jeb Bush (@JebBush) September 17, 2015

As it turns out, this isn’t the first time Bush has admitted to smoking pot. He told the Boston Globe earlier this year that he "drank alcohol, and I smoked marijuana” during his school days at Andover.

As it turns out, this isn’t the first time Bush has admitted to smoking pot. He told the Boston Globe earlier this year that he \"drank alcohol, and I smoked marijuana” during his school days at Andover.

","publishedDate":"2015-09-17T03:24:00Z","contributors":[{"name":"ABC News","url":"","role":"","logo":"","logoAlt":""}],"modifiedDate":"2015-09-17T19:09:07Z","section":"Politics","wordCount":148,"relatedTags":{"heading":"Related Topics","tags":[]},"lead":{"ratio":"16x9","disableForMobile":false,"type":"xl","mediaType":"image","alignCaptionToBody":true},"ads":{"Sticky":{"kvps":{"test":true}},"RightRail":{"kvps":{"test":true}},"InlineBox":{},"InlineOutstream":{"disabled":false},"Taboola":{"position":"bottom","pageType":"article","config":{"network":"abcnews-abcnews","mode":"thumbnails-a","container":"taboola-below-article-thumbnails","type":"article","targetType":"mix","placement":"Below Article Thumbnails"}}},"featuredVideo":null,"featuredImage":{"caption":{"credit":"AFP/Getty Images","text":"Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush speaks during the Republican Presidential Debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif., on Sept. 16, 2015.","lines":2},"image":{"alt":"Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush speaks during the Republican Presidential Debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif., on Sept. 16, 2015.","src":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/Politics/gty_bush_lb_150916_16x9_992.jpg?w=1600","sources":[{"min":0,"max":374,"src":{"x1":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/Politics/gty_bush_lb_150916_16x9_992.jpg?w=384"}},{"min":375,"max":693,"src":{"x1":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/Politics/gty_bush_lb_150916_16x9_992.jpg?w=608"}},{"min":694,"src":{"x1":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/Politics/gty_bush_lb_150916_16x9_992.jpg?w=1600"}}],"fetchPriority":"high"}},"dateline":"—","seo":{},"LivePromotion":{}},"autoUpdate":{"enabled":false,"topics":["general-elections-2020-balance-of-power"]}},"upw":{"balanceOfPower":{"electoral":{"header":"Biden Projected to be President-Elect","candidates":{"democrats":{"id":1036,"displayName":"Joe Biden","shortDisplayName":"J. Biden","firstName":"Joe","lastName":"Biden","party":"democrats","major":true,"incumbent":false,"winner":true,"votes":306},"republicans":{"id":8639,"displayName":"Donald Trump","shortDisplayName":"D. Trump","firstName":"Donald","lastName":"Trump","party":"republicans","major":true,"incumbent":true,"winner":false,"votes":232},"other":{"displayName":"Other","votes":0}},"parties":{"democrats":"democrats","republicans":"republicans"},"type":"electoral","votes":{"democrats":{"available":{},"total":306,"difference":{},"popular":{"displayValue":"81,283,098","value":81283098}},"republicans":{"available":{},"total":232,"difference":{},"popular":{"displayValue":"74,222,958","value":74222958}},"other":{"available":{},"total":0,"popular":{}},"total":538},"needed":{"displayText":"270 to win","displayValue":"270","value":270},"lastUpdated":{"value":"2020-12-18T21:15:13.850Z","displayValue":"December 18, 4:15:13PM ET"},"reporting":"99% of Expected Vote Reporting"},"senate":{"header":"Senate Seat Results","candidates":{"democrats":{"displayName":"Democrats","icon":"party-democrats","votes":46,"winner":false},"republicans":{"displayName":"Republicans","icon":"party-republicans","votes":50,"winner":false},"other":{"displayName":"Other","votes":2}},"parties":{"democrats":"democrats","republicans":"republicans"},"type":"senate","votes":{"democrats":{"available":{"displayText":"12 Democrats up for election","shortDisplayText":"12 Dems. up for election","displayValue":"12","value":12},"total":46,"difference":{"displayText":"Gained 1 seat","displayValue":"1","value":1},"popular":{}},"republicans":{"available":{"displayText":"23 Republicans up for election","shortDisplayText":"23 Reps. up for election","displayValue":"23","value":23},"total":50,"difference":{"displayText":"Lost 1 seat","displayValue":"-1","value":-1},"popular":{}},"other":{"available":{"displayText":"0 Others up for election","shortDisplayText":"0 Others up for election","displayValue":"0","value":0},"total":2,"popular":{}},"total":100},"needed":{"displayText":"51 for control","displayValue":"51","value":51},"lastUpdated":{"value":"2020-12-17T18:22:05.390Z","displayValue":"December 17, 1:22:05PM ET"}},"house":{"header":"House Results: Dems Retain Control","candidates":{"democrats":{"displayName":"Democrats","icon":"party-democrats","votes":222,"winner":true},"republicans":{"displayName":"Republicans","icon":"party-republicans","votes":210,"winner":false},"other":{"displayName":"Other","votes":0}},"parties":{"democrats":"democrats","republicans":"republicans"},"type":"house","votes":{"democrats":{"available":{"displayText":"233 Democrats up for election","shortDisplayText":"233 Dems. up for election","displayValue":"233","value":233},"total":222,"difference":{"displayText":"Lost 10 seats","displayValue":"-10","value":-10},"popular":{}},"republicans":{"available":{"displayText":"201 Republicans up for election","shortDisplayText":"201 Reps. up for election","displayValue":"201","value":201},"total":210,"difference":{"displayText":"Gained 10 seats","displayValue":"10","value":10},"popular":{}},"other":{"available":{"displayText":"1 Others up for election","shortDisplayText":"1 Others up for election","displayValue":"1","value":1},"total":0,"popular":{}},"total":435},"needed":{"displayText":"218 for control","displayValue":"218","value":218},"lastUpdated":{"value":"2020-12-17T18:22:02.900Z","displayValue":"December 17, 1:22:02PM ET"}},"lastUpdated":{"value":"2020-12-18T21:15:13.850Z","displayValue":"December 18, 4:15:13PM ET"},"autoUpdate":{"enabled":false,"topics":["general-elections-2020-balance-of-power"]},"electionsConfig":{}},"types":["electoral","senate","house"]}},"analytics":{"accountID":"wdgnewabcnews,wdgasec,wdgnewabcnweb,wdgnewabcnewsrollup","ns":"abcnews","pageName":"abcn:politics:story","pageType":"story","pageUrl":"abcnews.go.com/Politics/jeb-bush-admits-smoking-pot-tells-mom-hes/story?id=33818564&userab=abcn_web_article_ts-218*variant_a-818","globalSpecVersion":"v1.08","siteDifferentiator":"abcn:site","tagID":"apage_news01","userABCookie":"abcn_web_article_ts-218*variant_a-818","alertTag":"none","authors":"ABC News","authorsBureau":"none","authorsUnit":"none","dateline":"—","id":"33818564","modDate":"2015-09-17","mediaOnPage":"image","modTime":"15:09","provider":"ABC News","pubDate":"2015-09-16","pubTime":"23:24","section":"Politics","subBrand":"none","title":"Jeb Bush Admits To Smoking Pot - Then Tells His Mom He’s ‘Sorry’","videoId":"none","videoName":"none","wordCount":148},"taboola":{"config":{"network":"abcnews-abcnews","mode":"thumbnails-a","type":"other","targetType":"mix","placement":null,"pageTypeOverrides":{"story":{"mode":"thumbnails-a","type":"article","targetType":"mix","placement":"Below Article Thumbnails"},"home":{"mode":"thumbnails-b","container":"taboola-homepage-thumbnails","type":"home","targetType":"mix","placement":"Homepage Thumbnails"},"section":{"mode":"thumbnails-b","type":"category","targetType":"mix","placement":"Section Front Thumbnails"},"liveBlog":{"mode":"thumbnails-d","type":"other","targetType":"mix","placement":"Blog"}}}}},"request":{"headers":{},"httpVersion":"1.1","method":"GET","url":"/Politics/jeb-bush-admits-smoking-pot-tells-mom-hes/story?id=33818564&userab=abcn_web_article_ts-218*variant_a-818","vary":{"host":"abcnews.go.com","cached":true,"path":"/Politics/jeb-bush-admits-smoking-pot-tells-mom-hes/story","forwarded-proto":"https","device":"desktop","country":"us","userab":"abcn_web_article_ts-218*variant_a-818","region":"gdpr"}},"viewport":{"width":1260,"height":0},"user":{}};