Who?
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
LISTEN: Laslo & Murkowski
Ask a Pol asks:
Any thoughts on the DEA — Drug Enforcement Administration — rescheduling marijuana?
Key Murkowski:
“Well, do I think that this is a discussion that is worthy of debate here? Yeah,” Sen. Lisa Murkowski exclusively told Ask a Pol. “But, is it the DEA that moves to reschedule it? Do you wait for more states to move towards legalization? I will tell you, it has caused issues of complexity.”
SAFER Banking Act?
“Personally, I think that we've got enough issues in this country with substance use and abuse. And I did not support legalization in Alaska, but we have it,” Murkowski said. “Alaskans have spoken on it. And my job is to make sure that people who are engaged in this business are safe in their business as long as it's legal.”*
*Murkowski — and Ask a Pol’s Matt Laslo… — still needs to study the updated SAFER Banking Act: “What is the R? What did the R do?”
Clemency for past marijuana convictions?
“I haven't looked at it,” Murkowski told us. “It's just kind of in a different space.”
Below find a rough transcript of Ask a Pol’s exclusive interview with Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), slightly edited for clarity.
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TRANSCRIPT: Sen. Lisa Murkowski
SCENE: Ask a Pol’s Matt Laslo runs into Sen. Murkowski as she’s about to hop the tram underneath the Capitol back to her office across the street, so we hitch a ride with her and chat cannabis policy.
Matt Laslo: “How are you, ma'am?”
Lisa Murkowski: “I’m good.”
ML: “What do you make of the DEA moving to reschedule marijuana?”
LM: “Well, do I think that this is a discussion that is worthy of debate here? Yeah. You look at all of the states, including Alaska, that has — we have fully legalized and have for some period of time now...”
Murkowski says, “Hey” to someone exiting the tram.
LM: “...but it's one of those that does — is it the DEA that moves to reschedule it? Do you wait for more states to move towards legalization? I will tell you, it has caused issues of complexity. There was a case in Alaska that just was announced probably about three weeks ago, and a fellow who has his own private pilot's license and his own plane was flying marijuana to other communities where — legal vendors — and he has had his FAA license pulled for life.”
ML: “Really? Wow.”
LM: “Permanent ban.”
ML: “Wow.”
LM: “So this is being appealed, but it’s…”
He has since lost his appeal.
ML: “That’s made him jobless.”
Laslo nervously laughs.
ML: “Wow.”
LM: “Yeah. And it just kinda speaks to the complexities. I've been very focused on the SAFE Banking Act…”
ML: “Have you written a letter on that pilot's behalf? Or are you just monitoring it?”
LM: “We just kind of are in the monitoring phase right now. Again, while it's in process of litigation. But banking issues is one that we've been tracking for a long time. We've got all these vendors engaged in legal business…”
Woman: “Hello.”
LM: “Are you leaving me?”
Woman: “Never.”
LM: “Okay, good.”
Murkowski and Laslo exit the tram and hop on an escalator.
LM: “…and no safe place to bank. We had one credit union that tried really hard to figure out if there was a way that they could help facilitate safer banking. This was a challenge. It's just a challenge. And so do I think something needs to be done? Yeah.”
ML: “Are you supportive of SAFER?”
LM: “Personally, I think that we've got enough issues in this country with substance use and abuse, and I did not support legalization in Alaska. But we have it — Alaskans have spoken on it — and my job is to make sure that people who are engaged in this business are safe in their business as long as it's legal.”
ML: “Are you supportive of SAFER as it is now?”
LM: “Of?”
ML: “The SAFER Banking Act?”
LM: “The SAFE Banking Act.”
ML: “Cause they put the R on the end.”
LM: “Yeah, what is the R? What did the R do?”
ML: “I don't really remember right now.”
LM: “I don't remember either. I should know that. We should both know that.”
ML: “Yeah.”
LM: “Report on that in your story so I can read it.”
ML: “Well, cause I think it had some of the stuff from the MORE Act, didn't it? If clemency becomes part of the debate, does that complicate SAFER? Would you be supportive of that?”
Changes: SAFE v. SAFER Banking Act
LM: “Oh, yeah. You know, it probably does complicate it, doesn't it? I mean, I think it brings in a completely different issue.”
ML: “Yeah?”
The senator sees some lost visitors at a banks of elevators under construction in the Dirksen Senate Office Building, so she guides them.
LM: “What are you guys looking for?”
Man #1: “The restaurant — to just grab a glass of water. Is that down?”
LM: “Yeah.”
ML: “Basement.”
LM: “Go down one more.”
Man #1: “Okay, thank you, appreciate it.”
LM: “But I'm gonna go up with you.”
Laslo laughs as the elevator heads up.
Man #2: “You’re more than welcome to go with us.”
Man #1: “We're gonna take you down before you get to go up.”
LM: “Okay, all right. Your sign says you're going up.”
Man #1: “Oh, does it?”
LM: “Yeah.”
Man #1: “Oh, maybe we are.”
LM: “Six. Let's see. I think you've got B first, let's see what happens.”
Man #2: “We might have come from B, so…”
LM: “This is supposed to be a new elevator. It might be very confused.”
Man #1: “Okay.”
LM: “Are we moving? Ohh.”
Man #1: “Oh, we're going up.”
LM: “You can tell this is a new elevator. You can't even hardly feel it. The old ones would…”
Sen. Murkowski imitates the sound of an old elevator.
LM: “Right, right?”
Man #2: “Yes, they would.”
LM: “I scared you, didn't I?”
All laugh.
ML: “Flashbacks to the old ones.”
LM: “All the way down to Garage — G.”
Man #2: “G?”
LM: “G. Right? Right, right. It's G.”
Man #1: “G.”
LM: “Yeah, go to G.”
ML: “To your right.”
Man #1: “G to get to the right corner?”
LM: “Yes. Yes. There's a water fountain right here.”
Man #1: “Yeah, we’re not gonna do that. We're in the water business.”
LM: “Oh — okay.”
Man #2: “We know better!”
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ML: “So have you looked at clemency or is that a step too far?”
LM: “I haven't.”
ML: “You haven't looked at it?”
LM: “I haven't looked at it, no.”
ML: “There have been proposals.”
LM: “No, yeah, I think, it's just kind of in a different space.”
ML: “Yeah?”
LM: “So, yeah.”
ML: “I will be watching.”
LM: “It is gonna be interesting to see. I don't know if there's any states that in these upcoming elections, you're seeing additional efforts to do legalization?”
ML: “I was actually just reading, The Hill had all the referendums. I think Nebraska voters and North Dakota are trying — or I guess advocates in North Dakota are trying to get it on the ballot. Oh, it's on the ballot in Florida.”
LM: “Legalization?”
ML: “Yeah. That could be a big one.”
LM: “Yeah. That is big.”
ML: “And then South Dakota is doing a redo.”
LM: “Is doing a what?”
ML: “South Dakota, last time, it was rejected or something in the courts rejected it, and so I think they tweaked the language and are doing it again. So, we'll see.”
LM: “We'll see. Lots to watch.”
ML: “Have a good one, ma'am.”
LM: “See ya later.”
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Murkowski questions DEA role in rescheduling marijuana; still reviewing SAFER Banking