Who?
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY)
LISTEN: Laslo & AOC
Ask a Pol asks:
We’re hearing President Donald Trump’s going to change cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III via executive order — wondering how disappointed you are fmr. President Joe Biden didn’t move on this when your party had the chance?
Key AOC:
“I’ve always been saying this from the beginning. It’s such a no-brainer, and I’ve honestly felt that it’s been a race,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez exclusively tells Ask a Pol Drugs. “Of course I’m supportive of that move.”
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Caught our ear:
“Speaker Johnson doesn’t have the pen on executive orders,” Ocasio-Cortez tells us.
“So if he wants to try to pass some legislation and whip his entire Republican caucus into doing that, I mean, that’s well within his power and his right. I don’t think that’s going to pass, though.”
TRANSCRIPT: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (12-12-2025)
SCENE: Just off the floor of the US House of Representatives, a gaggle of congressional reporters huddle around AOC, firing away with questions ranging from skyrocketing health care premiums to the 2026 midterm elections.
Ask a Pol founder Matt Laslo slides in the back of his colleagues, waits and listens for a bit until the other journalists move on. Once AOC answers their last questions and her staffers start to move her towards an elevator, Laslo — who was (half)jokingly referred to as The Squad Correspondent at VICE News — slides in with an irresistible question for the Bronx progressive…
Matt Laslo: “We’re hearing President Trump’s going to change cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III via executive order. Wondering how disappointed are you Biden didn’t move on this?”
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: “I mean, I’ve always been saying this from the beginning. I’ve been saying that this is — it’s such a no-brainer. And I’ve honestly felt that it’s been a race to whoever — I mean, it just feels, it’s inevitable. So, of course I’m supportive of that move.”
ICYMI — Ask a Pol founder Matt Laslo’s wire service, The LCB, first sold this interview to sister cannabis outlet, Marijuana Moment
Laslo: “And we’re also hearing Speaker [Mike] Johnson is opposing it.”
AOC: “Yeah?”
Laslo: “So…”
AOC: “Well, Speaker Johnson doesn’t have the pen on executive orders.”
Laslo: “Yeah?”
AOC: “So if he wants to try to pass some legislation and whip his entire Republican caucus into doing that, I mean, that’s well within his power and his right. I don’t think that’s going to pass, though.”
Laslo: “Yeah? Right? Thank you, ma’am.”
Ask a Pol founder Matt Laslo’s covered drug policy for Playboy, Rolling Stone, VICE News Tonight, Daily Beast, VICE News, etc. He’s also a new media Lecturer & the founder of the interactive political journalism startup, Ask a Pol.
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