“I can honestly say we got the best weed in the United States of America,” he joked with the talk show host. “It’s a growing industry, and it’s well-regulated.”
"Wouldn't it be wonderful if the first time Donald Trump said something that was actually true, if he said he'd leave us alone on our marijuana decriminalization?" Watch Gov. @JayInslee on last night's #RTOvertime: 420 Edition. pic.twitter.com/6J9oxEKJEU — Real Time (@RealTimers) April 21, 2018
Inslee, who leads one of nine states that have legalized recreational use of marijuana, also spoke out against the Trump administration's recent crackdown on marijuana laws. Earlier this year, Attorney General Jeff Sessions rescinded a policy that encouraged federal prosecutors not to go after people and businesses where the substance is legalized for medical or recreational use.
“We need to make sure that they back off,” he said on the HBO show. “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the first time Donald Trump said something that was actually true -- if he said he would leave us alone on our marijuana decriminalization? And I hope that will occur.”
Inslee’s comments stand in contrast to those of some other governors of states where marijuana is legalized.
Last year, when Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper appeared on NPR’s "Wait Wait ... Don't Tell Me!," the hosts repeatedly tried to goad him into making jokes about his state’s marijuana policies -- but the governor refused to bite.
In recent governor’s races, marijuana has been a focal point of the debate. As of January this year, a full 61 percent of Americans say the drug should be legalized.
