Patrick Joseph Kennedy II (born July 14, 1967) is an American retired politician and mental health advocate. From 1995 to 2011, he served as a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from Rhode Island's 1st congressional district, and was the first Generation X member of congress when he was elected in 1995. He is the youngest child and second son of the long-time Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy, and is a nephew of former U.S. President John F. Kennedy and former U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy. Since retiring from public service, Kennedy has primarily focused on opposing marijuana legalization as co-founder of Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM). He views legalization as a significant threat to public health and safety and has strongly criticized the Democratic Party for supporting it.
