Who?
Ilhan Omar (D-MN) — Co-chair, Congressional Cannabis Caucus
LISTEN: Laslo & Omar
Ask a Pol asks:
Do you know anything about Trump’s nominee to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration, Derek Maltz?
Key Omar:
“No? Maltz who?” Rep. Ilhan Omar exclusively tells Ask a Pol.
He says it's a ‘gateway drug…’
“What is he, a 100 years old?” Omar says. “All of that has been debunked for a really long time, but I think it's such a boomer thing to say…”
ICYMI — Omar exclusive first sold to Marijuana Moment
Caught our ear:
“We are not advocating for legalizing it so that kids can utilize it,” Omar tells us. “So I have no idea why he's talking about kids.”
Below find a rough transcript of Ask a Pol’s exclusive interview with Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), slightly edited for clarity.
TRANSCRIPT: Rep. Ilhan Omar
SCENE: There’s a vote underway on the House floor when Ask a Pol’s Matt Laslo runs into Rep. Omar’s walking back to her office…
Matt Laslo: “You're going the wrong way.”
Ilhan Omar: “I know. They called votes and I started to see members, and I was like ‘What are we doing, what is going on?’ Came out of meeting, so I didn’t know.”
ML: “Do you know anything about this [Derek] Maltz guy who was tapped to lead the DEA?”
ICYMI — 100 of 100 US senators on SAFER Banking Act
IO: “No. Maltz who?”
ML: “That’s what I'm saying.”
Omar laughs.
ML: “But — and this is my wire service, one of our clients is Marijuana Moment — and so I just told him to send me all his opinions, he says, it's a ‘gateway drug,’ that cannabis is. ‘That all the irresponsible politicians trying to get votes by legalizing marijuana. Maybe it's time to understand the negative impacts from smoking this crap.’”
IO: “What is he, a 100 years old?”
ML: “Right?”
IO: “All of that has been debunked for a really long time, but I think it's such a boomer thing to say, I don't know how old this man is, but — right?”
ML: “And then he says, ‘it's actually causing psychosis, schizophrenia, depression, anxiety. So it's really a gateway drug for these kids that don't know any better.’”
IO: “Well, first of all, there are — we are not advocating for legalizing it so that kids can utilize it. So I have no idea why he's talking about kids.”
ML: “Right?”
IO: “Yeah.”
ML: “Do you worry about even, like, the mental health claims he's making?”
IO: “No, it's actually helpful.”
ML: “It's helpful?”
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IO: “Yes.”
ML: “Cause you can so easily debunk it?”
IO: “Yess — but, I mean, no. It's helpful for a lot of people who are struggling with all types of stuff.”
ML: “Yeah?”
IO: “Yeah.”
ML: “Amen. Preciate ya.”
Andrey Beregovskiy contributed to this report.
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