Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) on CNN on Saturday criticized White House counselor Kellyanne Conway’s previous comments against marijuana regulation.
“For all the folks that talk about the benefits and legalities of marijuana, there are many health professionals and employers increasingly concerned that this is not your grandfather’s or your father’s marijuana,” Conway told CNN’s Michael Smerconish in April. “The TCH components are much stronger.”
When Smerconish asked Gaetz what he thought of Conway’s comments, Gaetz said, “To my friend Kellyanne Conway, I would say, ‘OK, boomer,'” referencing a popular meme on social media used to push back against older generations’ criticism of millennials and Generation Z.
Continuing, he said, “That’s a very boomer approach to marijuana, for no other reason than it’s THC, not TCH, and I think her reflection shows a real ignorance to the science.”
On Wednesday, the House Judiciary Committee, of which Gaetz is a member, passed the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act of 2019 by a count of 24-10.
Under the MORE Act, marijuana would be removed from the Controlled Substances Act, which would federally legalize cannabis across the country. Additionally, past federal cannabis convictions would be expunged.
The bill would also establish the Cannabis Justice Office, an organization that would, among other things, introduce a 5 percent tax on state-legal cannabis sales.
Marijuana-related businesses, such as dispensaries, would be able to apply for loans and grants through the Small Business Administration.
Moreover, Veterans Affairs doctors would be allowed to prescribe medical marijuana in accordance with individual state cannabis laws.
The vote marks the first time that a congressional committee has voted in favor of the legalization of marijuana.