Andy Harris' new hemp bill will "completely destroy" industry, Sen. Rand Paul predicts

Sen. Rand Paul answers questions from congressional press corps outside of US Capitol. Photo: Matt Laslo

Who?

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY)

LISTEN: Laslo & Paul

Ask a Pol asks:

What do you make of House Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris (R-MD) latest effort to ban consumable hemp?

Key Paul:

“The language they have in the [House] appropriations bill, I think would completely destroy the American hemp industry,” Sen. Rand Paul exclusively told Ask a Pol.

ICYMI — Cannabis Caucus divided over hemp

Cannabis Caucus Co-chair supports banning consumable hemp

Caught our ear:

“I don’t know how you’ll be able to sell CBD oil with that,” Paul told us.

Sound familiar? Ask a Pol founder Matt Laslo’s wire service, The LCB, sold this exclusive to Marijuana Moment

Source: Marijuana Moment

Below find a rough transcript of Ask a Pol’s exclusive interview with Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), slightly edited for clarity.

TRANSCRIPT: Sen. Rand Paul (6-26-2025)

SCENE: In the midst of the pre-July Fourth “One Big Beautiful Bill” debate, Sen. Rand Paul became a hot commodity to the congressional press corps, as he was one of only three Republican Senators to ultimately oppose the measure.

After missing Paul all week only to then see the Senator engulfed in a sea of reporters, during a Republican Conference lunch, Ask a Pol’s Matt Laslo positioned himself close to the main entrance with a direct line of site to the door Senator’s would be exiting from.

Sen. Rand Paul holds court just outside the US Capitol. Photo: Matt Laslo

Once the meeting broke, Laslo casually darted to the senator, briefly grabbing the more Libertarian-tinged Senator for a cannabis conversation before Paul walked onto the Senate floor to vote…

Matt Laslo: “Curious about your hemp measure — what do you think about what Andy Harris is doing with hemp?”

Rand Paul: “The language they have in the appropriations bill, I think would completely destroy the American hemp industry. There’d be…”

ML: “Yeah?”

RP: “I don’t know how you’ll be able to sell CBD oil with that.”

They arrive at the entrance to the Senate floor.

RP: “I’ve got to run.”

ML: “Yup? Thank you, sir.”

Candace Taggart contributed to this report.

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*While not an advocate, Ask a Pol founder Matt Laslo’s been quite public about his regular medicinal cannabis use.

Source: The Guardian

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