Sen. Hickenlooper wants marijuana "descheduled, not rescheduled”

Ep. 34 — Sen. John Hickenlooper: Ask a Pol's 34th of 100 exclusive marijuana interview with each US senator

United States Senate. Photo: Matt Laslo

Who?

Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-CO)

LISTEN: Laslo & Hickenlooper

Ask a Pol asks:

Any thoughts on the DEA — Drug Enforcement Administration — moving to reschedule marijuana?

Key Hickenlooper: 

“I think it's a good first step,” Sen. John Hickenlooper exclusively told Ask a Pol. “I think it should be descheduled, not rescheduled.”

SAFER Banking Act?

“I think we still need the SAFE Banking Act, I think that still adds value and certainty,” Hickenlooper said. 

Caught our ear from big beer:

“So, it struck me that if you're going to reschedule it, schedule where it belongs, but I don't think we really should have it. I mean alcohol is descheduled,” Hickenlooper — who’s famous back in Colorado for being a forefather (1988!) of America’s craft beer revolution — told us.

Below find a rough transcript of Ask a Pol’s exclusive interview with Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-CO), slightly edited for clarity.

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TRANSCRIPT: Sen. John Hickenlooper

SCENE: Sen. Hickenlooper’s walking through the basement of the US Capitol on his way to vote on the Senate floor.

Matt Laslo: “How are you, sir?”

John Hickenlooper: “Hey.”

ML: “Curious, your thoughts on the DEA moving to reschedule marijuana?”

JH: “I think it's a good first step. It allows small businesses to survive and be able to have, you know, at least my understanding is, it allows them to expense their costs of their business like anybody else.”

ML: “Yeah? Do you think they need the SAFER Banking Act on top of it?”