Sen. Warner: US cannabis law "doesn't make sense," encourages crime

Sen. Mark Warner speaks to reporters during a press conference. Photo: Matt Laslo

Who?

Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) — Senate Banking, Housing, Urban Affairs Committee

LISTEN: Laslo & Warner

Ask a Pol asks:

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

Key Warner: 

“The idea that the federal government still classifies it as a drug similar to heroin, doesn't seem to make much sense to me,” Sen. Mark Warner exclusively told Ask a Pol.

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Marco Rubio: "Marijuana has as much negative impact on health as tobacco"

SAFER Banking?

“I've been supportive of it,” Warner told us. 

Caught our ear on current system:

“This seem to be counterintuitive, in terms of, if you wanna try to push out the criminal element,” Warner told us.

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

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TRANSCRIPT: Sen. Mark Warner

SCENE: Sen. Mark Warner awaits a tram underneath the US Capitol when Ask a Pol’s Matt Laslo catches up with him.

Matt Laslo: “Have you ever looked at DEA rescheduling marijuana? Are you supportive of that?”

Mark Warner: “Yeah, I'm generally supportive…”

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MW: “…I think the idea, when we've got marijuana in one form or another legalized in, I believe, over half the states right now — the idea that the federal government still classifies it as a drug similar to heroin, doesn't seem to make much sense to me.”

ML: “And have you looked at the SAFER Banking Act? Are you supportive of that?”

MW: “I've been supportive of it. Yeah, I'm supportive of it. I think in—”

ML: “And the clemency efforts as well?”

MW: “On the SAFER, because why do you have a system where people can legally purchase marijuana, but you can't use the banking system? This seem to be counterintuitive, in terms of, if you wanna try to push out the criminal element.”

ML: “I mean having millions of dollars in cash is a public safety issue. Preciate ya.”

Andrey Beregovskiy and Walken Whalen contributed to this report.

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