How many members of Congress use marijuana?
That question was posed to Rep. Jared Polis, D-Colo., on March 13 during a news conference for the National Cannabis Industry Association in Washington D.C. — to a chorus of chuckles in the room.
Polis answered directly and realistically, as captured by a Washington Post video, starting with: “I don’t think more than 5 or 10, I would guess, but I really wouldn’t know because I’ve never seen them use it.”
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But then he took a beat and noted that the demographics in Congress are similar to the populace it represents. Normal folks get caught cheating on their spouse or using cocaine, and that also happens in Congress, Polis noted, amending his original hypothesis on Congressmen who get high.
“The average age (in Congress) is 60,” he continued, “I don’t know what percentage of 60-year-olds use marijuana (in America), but it’s probably similar in Congress. So if it’s 5 percent of 60-year-olds, then it’s probably 5 percent of Congress.”
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