Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), whom President Donald Trump is working to unseat in a May 19 primary, says states should have the authority to set their own marijuana laws without federal interference.
In an interview with The Cincinnati Enquirer, Massie said he doesn't "do recreational marijuana" and personally opts for "medicinal margaritas," but supports scaling back federal cannabis enforcement. "I support anybody making their own decision," he said. "And the state of Kentucky should be deciding the marijuana laws for the state of Kentucky, not the federal government."
The interview arrived at the marijuana topic through an indirect route: the journalist noted that Massie calls his off-the-grid Kentucky property "the Shire"—a Lord of the Rings reference—then observed that "hobbits smoke a lot of pipe-weed" before pivoting to the cannabis question.
Massie has long backed cannabis reform. In a 2018 interview, he said failing to advance marijuana legalization had been a "huge missed opportunity for Republicans." He has also sponsored legislation to legalize industrial hemp and protect the Second Amendment rights of marijuana consumers.
Telling Fox News in 2019 that rescheduling is good politics, he said: "The first party that does this—and I don't understand why either party won't do it—is going instantly gain 10 points in the general poll on which party versus the other."
Despite supporting amendments to shield state marijuana programs from federal action, Massie voted against a cannabis legalization bill on the House floor, arguing the legislation "creates new marijuana crimes" through its proposed regulations.
Trump's push to oust Massie follows the congressman's efforts to release Jeffrey Epstein-related files and his opposition to key spending bills. The president has endorsed primary challenger Ed Gallrein ahead of the May 19 vote.
