Who?
Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY)
LISTEN: Laslo & Paul
Ask a Pol asks:
With this hemp hang-up that derailed the Senate agenda of members’ August recess, what do you make of this last-minute wrangling in the Senate over whether to ban THC-infused smokable hemp products or not?
Key Paul:
“The people that are so opposed to hemp need to realize that people take all kinds of prescription drugs to help them sleep, and they’re making a judgment that somehow taking Ambien or Percocet is somehow better than taking hemp,” Sen. Rand Paul exclusively tells Ask a Pol Politics.
“But really, I think it’s none of their damn business,” Paul continues. “I think people, adults ought to be able to make a decision on what they want to take for sleep.”
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Caught our ear:
“There are a couple industries that are opposed to hemp and that also sell competing products,” Paul said. “The cannabis industry as well as … some in the alcohol industry don’t like it because it competes.”
TRANSCRIPT: Sen. Rand Paul (8-6-2026)
SCENE: Ahead of one of the last vote series before the Senate gaveled out for their monthlong August recess, Ask a Pol founder Matt Laslo catches Sen. Rand Paul in the basement of the Capitol as he makes his way to the Senate floor…
Matt Laslo: “With this hemp hang up, what do you make of this last-minute wrangling?”
Rand Paul: “I think the people that are so opposed to hemp need to realize that people take all kinds of prescription drugs to help them sleep, and they’re making a judgment that somehow taking Ambien or Percocet is somehow better than taking hemp.”
Laslo: “Yeah?”
Paul: “But really, I think it’s none of their damn business. I think people, adults ought to be able to make a decision on what they want to take for sleep.”
Laslo: “Some people are saying this last-minute push by the White House, they think special interests might be involved. What do you make of that?”
Paul: “There are a couple industries that are opposed to hemp and that also sell competing products. You know, the cannabis industry as well as the — I gotta go — the cannabis industry and some in the alcohol industry don’t like it because it competes.”
Laslo: “Yeah?”
Paul enters a Senators Only elevator in the Capitol’s basement.
Laslo: “Thank you, sir.”
What should we ask Congress next?
AI Disclosure:
Ask a Pol’s playing around with as many new AI tools as we can, so this small, unfunded startup can compete in today’s new media landscape.
