Metro

Adams: If Obama and Clinton avoided the joint, why can’t our kids?

Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams cited the examples of Bill Clinton and President Obama to justify loosening marijuana penalties in New York.

“Clinton smoked a joint, and he became president. Obama smoked a joint, and he became president. Our kids smoke a joint, and they end up in the joint,” Adams said outside City Hall, where state legislators announced plans to reduce punishment for casual pot use.

A bill sponsored by state Sen. Daniel Squadron (D-Brooklyn) and Assemblyman Karim Camara (D-Brooklyn) would make it a violation to light up in public — instead of a misdemeanor. Supporters of the measure say the current law unfairly affects black and Latino men, who make up 89 percent of marijuana arrests.

Under the proposed law, the standard penalty for public or private possession of pot would be a violation, with a fine of up to $100.

The bill would also create a process for those nabbed with small amounts of weed to have their records cleared more quickly.

Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson has already announced he would not prosecute most low-level marijuana cases in his borough.