Few conversations flummox members of Congress more than the one over legalizing marijuana. As public opinion rapidly shifts, lawmakers have ducked, dodged and bobbed. The prevailing Capitol Hill mind-set is that pot is a political loser. The country is divided, the thinking goes, and the safe path is to sidestep the minefield.
Increasingly, however, avoidance does not work. As more states legalize either medical or recreational marijuana use, members of Congress are being asked to take positions. The results are often cringe-worthy.
So earlier this year, in an over-air-conditioned third-floor Capitol hearing room, an unlikely team of political operatives took it upon themselves to school congressional staff on how their bosses can have “the talk” with voters.
