Ilhan Omar Says ‘A lot of People’ in Congress Use Marijuana
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) said Wednesday that she believes “a lot of people” in Congress use marijuana while discussing federal cannabis legalization and drug policy reform.
Omar made the comments during an interview with TMZ in Washington while discussing changing attitudes toward marijuana and recent federal actions involving cannabis research and regulation.
The Minnesota Democrat, who serves as co-chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, was asked whether she found it unusual that no members of Congress publicly identify themselves as marijuana users.
“I will say advocacy for legalizing doesn’t necessarily mean that you are a user,” Omar said while discussing support for cannabis legalization efforts in Congress.
“Everybody can be an advocate to legalizing it because we understand that it is not OK for us to spend the billions of dollars we do now incarcerating people for smoking a joint,” she added.
After further questioning about marijuana use among lawmakers, Omar smiled and said, “I think there are a lot of people who smoke cannabis in Congress,” before walking away from reporters.
Omar also argued the federal government should move further toward nationwide marijuana legalization given the number of states that have already legalized recreational or medical cannabis use.
The congresswoman credited President Donald Trump with helping shift some Republican attitudes surrounding marijuana and broader drug policy discussions involving cannabis and psychedelics.
“I think any step forward is a good step, but we need to go farther than where we are yet,” Omar said while discussing ongoing legalization efforts.
She also encouraged continued discussions between lawmakers and the White House regarding marijuana policy reform and federal regulation of cannabis products.
The Trump administration recently announced several policy changes involving marijuana and psychedelic drug research as part of broader reforms tied to medical treatment and federal regulation, as reported by The Hill.
Last month, President Donald Trump signed an executive order easing restrictions on research involving psychedelic drugs for conditions including depression and substance abuse disorders.
The order directed the Food and Drug Administration to accelerate reviews involving psychedelic-based treatments and experimental therapies.
Several Republican lawmakers, including Morgan Luttrell and Jack Bergman, have supported expanded access to psychedelic treatments for military veterans.
Days later, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced plans to reclassify state-licensed medical marijuana as less dangerous under federal law.
The changes also reduced some regulations on medical marijuana businesses and created tax benefits for licensed operators involved in legal cannabis programs.
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