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Sen. Lindsey Graham: DEA rescheduling is "incentivizing more marijuana”
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Sen. Lindsey Graham: DEA rescheduling is "incentivizing more marijuana”

Ep. 58 — Sen. Lindsey Graham: Ask a Pol's 58th of 100 exclusive marijuana banking interview with each US senator
Sen. Lindsey Graham takes questions from congressional press corps in Senate Studio. Photo: Matt Laslo

Who?

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) 

LISTEN: Laslo & Graham

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Ask a Pol asks:

What do you think about the DEA — Drug Enforcement Administration — moving to reschedule marijuana?

Key Graham: 

“I'm not a real big fan of that,” Sen. Lindsey Graham exclusively told Ask a Pol at the US Capitol. “I'm not a big fan of them doing that — incentivizing more marijuana.”

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SAFER Banking Act

Have you looked at SAFER Banking Act?

“No, but I need to,” Graham said. “Because you have different states doing different things. We gotta reconcile that problem, because it's still illegal under federal law.”

You'd be open to SAFER? You just haven't studied it yet?

“I'll look at it, get back to you,” Graham told Ask a Pol back in May.* “Okay?”

*Graham’s talked to Ask a Pol’s Matt Laslo a lot since then but still hasn’t gotten back to us.

ICYMI: EXCLUSIVE — embattled Sen. Jon Tester on SAFER

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

TRANSCRIPT: Sen. Lindsey Graham

US Capitol. Photo: Matt Laslo

SCENE: Ask a Pol’s Matt Laslo is alone waiting in the Senate basement when he spots Sen. Graham leaving the Capitol and walking back to his office on the concrete between the two underground Senate trams.

Lindsey Graham: “How you?”

Matt Laslo: “Livin’ the dream.”

LG: “Good.”

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*Student? Lost your gig? Hard times? Been there. Got you. No questions asked. Just ping us.

ML: “What did you make of DEA moving to reschedule marijuana?”

LG: “I'm not a real big fan of that.”

ML: “Yeah?”

LG: “Everything I've seen, you know — medical marijuana makes sense to me. You know, it seems to have medical quality — you know, purposes, in the right hands, I guess.”

ML: “Yeah?”

LG: “I'm not a big fan of them doing that — incentivizing more marijuana.”

ML: “Have you been able to look at the SAFER Banking Act?”

LG: “No, but I need to. Because you have different states doing different things. You know, we gotta reconcile that problem, because, you know, it's federal — it's banned, you know. It's still illegal under federal law.”

Laslo laughs.

ML: “Yeah, I know.”

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LG: “So yeah, we've got kind of a mess on our hands.”

ML: “You'd be open to SAFER? You just haven't studied it yet?”

LG: “I'll look at it, get back to you. Okay?”

Graham attempts to walk off ahead, alone, but Laslo squeezes one last answer out of the senator.

ML: “What do you make — kinda last question — what do you make of some Democrats calling for clemency for past marijuana convictions?”

LG: “You know — let me think about that one too.”

ML: “Yeah?”

LG: “Okay. Thanks, alright.”

ML: “Preciate ya, sir.”

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