Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
John Brennan, former director of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), caused a stir online after admitting in a recent interview that he smoked cannabis while in Egypt. The remarks, published by Kuwait’s Al-Qabas newspaper on Saturday, detailed his experiences in Cairo’s famous Khan El-Khalili bazaar and Gold Market.
Brennan revealed that he smoked hashish in a hookah and occasionally sprinkled it on cigarettes, sharing the experience with both Egyptian and American friends. He described it as part of the local culture and a personal way to practice Arabic while exploring the city.
“I documented in my memoirs that I used to go to the market and smoke hashish in the hookah,” Brennan said. “It was during the period when I had just started smoking cigarettes, which I quit a long time ago, but cannabis was part of the social culture with friends there.”
The confession quickly went viral on social media, prompting widespread reactions, memes, and video clips from Egyptian films and TV shows featuring actors like Adel Imam, often highlighting humor related to cannabis use.
