NEW YORK, NY (Monday, February 11, 2019) — When the U.S. Justice Department moved to rescind its live-and-let-live policy toward cannabis legalization last year, Senator Cory Gardner had a unique perspective: He was in the Oval Office with former Attorney General Jeff Sessions as the drama unfolded.When Sessions called him that day, Gardner revealed, he found himself looking around for the best place to take the call—and found an unlikely spot.
“Okay, I’ve gotta take this call, but I don’t know where to go,” Senator Gardner remembered. “So I ducked into the Senate barber shop.” Senator Gardner not only shared an account of that conversation but one that he had in the White House Oval Office.

Theses encounters are of the highlights of Senator Gardner’s guest appearance on Cannabis Economy, a long-running podcast dedicated to in-depth conversations regarding cannabis policy and legalization. The Senator said that it was the first time he had ever spoken about his conversation with Sessions.

Senator Gardner said that he did not initially support cannabis legalization, but that his views evolved as he experienced the impact of regulated cannabis in his home state of Colorado, where it was legalized with the passing of Amendment 64 to the Colorado constitution after a 2012 referendum.

“If the vote were to be held today, it would pass by an even greater margin,” Senator Gardner said.

After the Justice Department adopted a harsher attitude toward state legalization of cannabis, Gardner said, he decided to co-sponsor the STATES Act with Senator Elizabeth Warren. The Act, which has not been passed, would prevent the federal government from interfering with states’ cannabis laws.

“Senator Gardner echoed what many guests have noted over the past four years: It’s counterintuitive to recognize states as laboratories of innovation, respect the 10th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and believe in personal liberty, all while believing that an unadulterated plant is as dangerous as fentanyl,” said Seth Adler, the long-time host and producer of the podcast.

Over hundreds of conversations with scientists, elected officials, regulators, entrepreneurs, activists, and other leading voices in the field, Cannabis Economy has tracked the many twists and turns in the ongoing—and never dull—story of global cannabis legalization. The podcast enables interested listeners to gain direct insight into the subject from the people who know it best.

“Seth Adler is providing an oral history of this rapidly developing and evolving industry,” said Kris Krane, president and co-founder of 4Front. “When the history books of the founding of this industry are written, the Cannabis Economy archives will provide a treasure trove of information.”

Indeed, the podcast’s extensive archives—all available on its website at www.canneconomy.com—promise to provide nothing less than an ongoing history of cannabis legalization.

“I have been on the receiving end of Seth’s questions and am a frequent listener of his podcasts,” said Adam Bierman, co-founder and CEO of MedMen. “I have no doubt historians will look to Cannabis Economy’s archives for the real story behind the personalities who built the legal marijuana industry.”

 

About Cannabis Economy

Cannabis Economy is a popular podcast that has featured in-depth conversations with more than 400 individuals from the worlds of science, business, and government. Through these conversations, the podcast hopes to foster not only a greater understanding of the issues surrounding the legal use of cannabis, but also a real-time, ongoing history of its legalization. You can listen to episodes of Cannabis Economy at www.canneconomy.com, as well as on iTunes and Google Play.

 

Media Contact:

[email protected]