I am Congressman Jared Polis, sponsor of HR 499 to allow states to regulate marijuana, former entrepreneur, lead opponent of SOPA/PIPA

Hello Congressman Polis. I am actually the guy that first told you about reddit on the street in north Boulder. It was before the midterms in 2010 and we spoke at some length about the possibility of what ended up happening in that insane election.

Have you found reddit to be useful?

You're doing a great job and I'll look for you at the Speech tonight.

oooh, good to hear from you again! Reddit was awesome during the SOPA debate. I like reddit a lot. It's fun and I keep up with things I'm interested in. This is my third AMA on reddit and who knows, I'll probably do another next year!

Thanks for making the introduction!

Mr. Polis, do you uh... you know... partake?

nope, no desire to. I like reality too much.

do you think anyone in Congress smokes?

I think there are a few members who do but Id o not have firsthand knowledge

What moneyed interests are blocking real progress on marijuana legalization? What are the non-monetary political concerns?

the law enforcement industrial complex.

All those on the gravy train of the drug war which means parts of law enforcement and their private sector vendors.

Can you please throw in a small amendment making it legal to punch people who would insist on posting their stupid "I'm so high because it's legal" statuses and photos?

Yes. Truly folks, this does NOT help the cause

Hi Jared! I was your U.S. History teacher at LJCD. By the looks of what you've accomplished I did a damned good job.

Jerry??? Doc???

Hi! I'm one of your constituents. I have a super important question for you: What's your Summoner name in League of Legends?

private msg me with yours and I'll friend u

Jared Polis! My BFF!

This is @TwitterHandle I was curious to see if you actually run your Twitter account, or if I have been foolishly tweeting your intern. My friends make fun of my tweets to you, and I would love to prove them wrong!

PS: You rock!

yeah you're my buddy on twitter. Of course it's me. I would fire an intern for impersonating me!

Tell your friends I'm real, I remember giving you a restaurant recommendation once did u go?

Amsterdam Falafelshop! It was amazing!

Glad you tried it, I went there again two weeks ago. Hope you enjoyed DC!

i think your actually a redditor who happens to be a congressman. ama that.

yeah pretty much

What's your favorite subreddit and why?

I mostly lurk, you can see which one's I've posted in.

Mr. Polis, please describe your frustration with the confounding display of ignorance put forth by Michele Leonhart during the policy hearings, and if you could possibly give some advice to the average citizen for combating this sort of iron clad ignorance pertaining to the new drug issues.

Yeah that was hugely disappointing and I am kind of shocked she is still in her job. To have that level of ignorance (or willful misleading us) does not exactly inspire confidence in our top drug enforcement officer.

Here is the link for those who don't know what we're talking about: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFgrB2Wmh5s

Bill Gates said on reddit not too long ago "Higher is better"

Do you agree with his statement sir ?

Much of my district is more than 5,000 feet above sea level and I also represent mountains that are well over 10,000 feet.

Hi Mr. Polis.

Certain municipalities in Colorado are attempting to keep marijuana illegal in their jurisdictions. Some still write tickets for marijuana paraphernalia, accessories explicitly legalized in the state constitution. What can be done to see that these municipalities respect the will of the voters of Colorado?

The will of the voters (Amendment 64) leaves it up to counties and cities how to regulate marijuana. I fully expect that many counties and cities will retain or enact bans. That is entirely their choice. The answer is to elect a different city council if you don't like their decisions.

Just as when federal prohibition ended for alcohol, many counties remaind "dry" and there are dry counties to this day.

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Sorry to lose you as a constituent :\ And thanks for your service to our country! See my no labels answer and check out nolabels.org

I'm thinking more of a handshake, maybe a half-hug, something like that.

Edit response: I am sitting next to Paul Tonko of NY and am actually holding his seat while he grabs a bite to eat. If I need to go to the bathroom later he will hold mine. I got here early to do my AMA and to get a great seat.

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We live near Pearl Street mall so usually hang out downtown, you'll typically see me walking with our little dog Gia and/or our son (1.5 years old)

How well does having a 1.5 year old son prepare you for dealing with Republicans?

*(Edit: Thanks for the Gold fellow Redditor)

He sleeps more than the Republicans

Do you get tired of hearing how rich you are?

How rich I am, how gay I am, how Jewish I am, how handsome I am (well, maybe not so much that last one).

I am fine with my identities of course (one has to get used to things). I always try not to judge people or assume things because of their identities. Someone's wealth, sexual orientation, etc says nothing about whether they are a good person or not.

Wow you are perfect for reddit

Well at least I'm perfect for something.

Congressman Polis,

It has always been my ambition to go into politics, and I have been seriously thinking about running for Congress, maybe very soon. I am currently 23, and I will be 25 by the time the next election cycle comes around (really not much younger than you were when you won your seat in Congress). What advice would you have for an aspiring politician?

Have you felt that you have had less of a voice, or that maybe other Congressmen/women condescend you because of your relatively young age compared to the rest of the body? And lastly, let's say you have an idea, how difficult is it for you to gain support to create legislation for both and ordinary run of the mill idea and for maybe a more revolutionary idea (for instance, your state legalized marijuana, what if you were to take an idea like this that traditionally goes against the grain to the national level)?

Thanks for doing this AMA Congressman. It's nice to see politicians using the web to branch out and reach new audiences.

I think running for office can be a great experience. Even if it is a long shot to win you really get to know a lot of parts of your community and meet a lot of great people along the way. You'll never know what will happen unless you try! Don't let it get to you if you don't win the first time, it's still a great educational experience and it gives voters a real choice!

I was the second youngest member of Congress when I was elected. I think I am maybe 10th or 15th or something now. No one ever gave me a hard time about it. I think it has more to do with how you carry yourself and your confidence than how old you are.

I do have to focus my time and efforts on things that have at least a chance of passing. If you want to go really against the grain you certainly can, but it would be more to start a conversation than actually pass a bill.

Thanks for the response! I have to imagine it can be pretty frustrating trying to deal with creating legislation (and where applicable, especially legislation that goes against the grain) and at the same time having only two-year terms. Ever think about running for the Senate?

The Senate is just as slow-moving than the House, sometimes more so!

Native Coloradan without a weed question, if you can believe it! What are your thoughts on the use of drones to monitor US citizens? And seeing as Colorado (and Washington) have lead the liberal agend recently, how can we shape the national attitude toward unrestricted government monitoring of American citizens? P.s. I worked on your campaign in 2010, while working for the HMP and HD33, just wanted to let you know I've always been a huge fan!

Great to hear from you!

Yes this is a real area of concern. I will be looking into protecting privacy, this is all so new. Let me know if you have any suggestions.

was that Jim Reisberg's seat? Greeley

It was Primavera, in the Broomfield area. Also, here's an excellent article from Forbes about aforementioned drones. http://www.forbes.com/sites/daviddisalvo/2013/02/08/washington-state-residents-say-no-to-police-surveillance-drones/

Love She's terrific! My friend Eliot ran her race this time around (I've known him since he was in high school) Thanks for the link to the article

Congressmen Polis,

1. What can be done to counteract the abuse of power by policing officials such as cops and TSA agents? It seems more than ever that they are abusing their power on good, honest citizens.

2. What about that drone plane being used to capture Christopher Dorner on US soil? A terrifying precedent. Any action being taken to combat that decision?

1) If there is something you are aware of that is an abuse please let me know.

2) I am looking into this and will try to get to see the secret documents that describe it

What do you think of the record numbers of LGBT members of this congress (of which you are a member)? Will Steve King and Michelle Bachmann willingly go within 15 feet of you? Do you think the Supreme Court will strike down DOMA and Prop 8? And what do you think the prospects are for legal gay marriage are in Colorado at the state level? The Colorado House speaker IS openly gay, after all.

Yeah it's really exciting. We have six out LGBT House members now and one in the Senate. I think there will be more and more. I get along fine with Bachmann and King. I mean I haven't made out with them or anything, but we get along just fine.

Our Speaker Mark Ferrandino is great and CO will soon be signing civil unions into law. I think if legal gay marriage was brought before the voters it would probably pass.

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer our questions, Rep. Polis! It's awesome that you're doing the AMA from the floor of the House. I heard that you recently became joined No Labels, an organization I'm really interested in, as a problem solver. Could you explain more about what that means?

I'm actually wearing the pin for that right now and along with other members I'll be wearing it tonight.

The pin says (looking down at it)" Committed to fix not fight"

It means that we need to look at our job as Americans first and not just as Republicans or Democrats. Specifically, the No labels group www.nolabels.org is seeking a "go big" deal to balance our budget and restore fiscal sanity to DC

That's awesome! I look forwarding to see what the pins look like on TV. How do you and the rest of the problem solvers actually plan on "fixing" Congress though? It's seems a pretty big idea that could be hard to implement.

The pins are orange, maybe the TV announcers will say something about them. Also all members have a red pin, that's our ID pin that identifies us as members of Congress.

Solving problems involves compromise.

Edit: we are also wearing green ribbons for the Sandy Hook victims

What's your favorite thing about being a Congressman?

The private planes, congressional yacht, private country club.... J/K (we have none of those things FYI)

My favorite thing is being able to make a difference on an issue. I helped delay SOPA which led to ya'll helping finally kill it. That felt really good.

I love the idea of there being one singular congressional yacht. They all share it.

might actually be a good investment if it helped everyone get along and work together

Why do you think the current administration has been so harsh on medical marijuana dispensories?

I reject the premise of the question.

Wow, that sounds legalistic. I always wanted to reject the premise of a question. THis is my first time I've said that!

AnyWho, the administration has been very clear through the Ogden memo that medical marijuana dispenseries that are clearly following state law are the lowest enforcement priority. This means that largely the feds have left medical marijuana dispenseries alone. In my state of Colorado that has been the case. I understand that in California there have been several raids, but these are of dispenseries that are operating in a gray area or a outright illegal manner under California laws. California state needs to tighten its laws to have less ambiguity so the feds don't have a pretense to come in.

What can congress do to help the DEA reschedule marijuana from a class 1 drug up to lets say a class 3 or 4 or completely unschedule the drug? As a doctor I can prescribe Cocaine for my patient legally but if I have a patient on marijuana they are still breaking the federal law.

thank you for highlighting the absurdity of current law

Hi Congressman Polis, what chance would you give HR 499 of passing?

That depends on you. Call your member of Congress and tell them to co-sponsor it.

You're my member of Congress. Should I still call?

I'm already supporting HR499 so consider me called. ;)

With several free avenues of communicating to the public, Reddit, Twitter, YouTube etc, do you think it's possible to win an election while receiving no monetary campaign contributions?

Anything is possible, however unlikely.

Hello, Jared!  Thanks for coming back.

Before I get to the marijuana questions, do you and your partner have plans to unite civilly in Colorado once the bill is signed into law?

• Every Coloradan 21 and up can grow up to six cannabis plants for personal use.

To what extent can law enforcement realistically prevent diversion of marijuana to minors?

Do you believe we should treat under-21 marijuana use differently than the near-scofflaws of underage drinking and possession of alcohol?

• Our State Assembly is set to create a THC DUI, with a maximum limit of 5 nanograms per milliliter of blood.  (There's a public hearing on Valentine's Day).  This proposal failed three times before, but now assemblypersons seem to feel compelled to "respond to legalization."

If you were a CO State Senator, is this a proposal you would endorse?  If so, for what specific reasons do you this is prudent?

For reddit's benefit, the arguments against the proposal are that there is no "THC breathalyzer" and compulsory blood drawing is invasive; no (non-invasive) field sobriety tests for marijuana have been approved; and 5ng is not a scientifically supported indication of impairment because THC remains in the blood long after the initial high, thus defining impairment without establishing impairment.

The arguments for the proposal are that it will deter "stoned" driving and setting a maximum limit fulfills our obligation to regulate marijuana similarly to alcohol.

Thanks for reading (and hopefully responding).

I know we've extended the invite before, but whenever you're in Denver you can swing by one of /r/Denver's weekly meetups: Beer & Settlers of Catan every Wednesday, Beer & Billiards every Thursday, and Beer & Arcade Games every Friday.

Take care!

I believe law enforcement is in a better position to prevent distribution to minors if it is legal and regulated vs. banned because the corner drug dealer doesn't care about selling to a kid.

I think having a THC DUI is a good idea. We need to strongly discourage people from using marijuana and driving.

Thanks for the invite from Denver maybe some time I'll drop by if I'm Denver

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BILLY SIMMS!

Do you have any long term plans for your political career, Senate? Presidency? Where do you see yourself in the next 2 elections?

no specific plans, just elected to my third term in the House and looking forward to serving!

What is your main arguement for legalizing marijuana, I have always wanted to know a politicians take on this.

The drug war has failed and it's time to try a new approach

Nothing to ask, just wanted to tell you I think you're awesome. Proud to be a constituent!

I think you're awesome too! I wouldbn't be able to serve the country in this way without my constituents sending me!

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Wow, always fun to hear from a Cspan geek. It's kinda fun sometimes I give an obscure speech late at night and I hear from 2 or 3 people who saw it on Cspan!

I always thought my life would have some element of public service, but I never thought it had to be specifically as a politician. There are many ways to give back. I wanted to get more involved with improving our schools and ran for State Board of Education in Colorado in 2000 and served six years.

THere are a lot of things that go on around here that I disagee with, but you can't take it personally. My job is to convince others and sometimes that takes time!

I have a question unrelated, but it looks like you might understand. I want to know why there isn't legislation that allows us to play online poker legally. If you do research you will realize games like Texas Hold'em are primarily games of skill. Why are we not allowed to play a game of skill when we are allowed gamble on lotteries when the odds are so bad we are more likely to die going to buy tickets than actually winning with them? Excuse the language, but that is bullshit.

I support the bill to legalize online poker. Yes the current law is ABSURD in this area as well.

I'm a CU student and a proud supporter of your campaign, but I, like many students, feel like my vote isn't really relevant. In a modern age of intense gerrymandering and stockpiles of secret money what can the average person do to feel like they get their fair say in the political discourse?

Go Buffs! And Rams! (both in the district I represent) You should just secretly stockpile a few million.

Absent that, of course your voice is heard. Contact me anytime, work in elections to support people you like and defeat people who stand in the way of progress. It's shockingly easy to get involved. It takes time or money, and most everybody has one of those two available to make a difference.

As a resident of Boulder, I'd like to thank you for at least partially inspiring me to begin studying politics. Very proud to have you representing us, Mr. Polis.

Thank you for the kind words!

Does the federal government have a revenue problem, spending problem, or both? How would you fix it?

all of the above, see nolabels.org

I think the Simpson-Bowles plan is a reasonable plan to bring the budget closer to balance that includes cuts and revenue

Congressman Polis:

First - thank you for your Quixotic attempt. I'm so grateful for it.

You see, I'm a 48 year old working class man who has smoked marijuana for most of my life. I don't do it all the time. Every few months or so I buy a small quantity (usually twenty dollars or less). It generally takes me about two weeks to kill it and then I don't buy any more for a while.

I don't drink. I don't do any other drugs. I go to work every day. I have been working since I was thirteen years old, sometimes two or three jobs at once. I've never been arrested. I vote. I pay my bills on time.

The only law I've broken are the marijuana laws. That alone is enough to actually make me a criminal. I am so tired of that. How could anyone look at me and the life I lead and call me a criminal while there are people in banks, on Wall St., and in other positions of power that engage in horrendously greedy behavior that screws the people?

How is it that I'm considered a criminal by our legal system (albeit one that has yet to be caught), while people at AIG, or HSBC, or UBS, or any other large financial institution are not?

Why is it that I risk jail every time I buy marijuana, but the people who launder money for the people who produce cocaine and heroin in mass quantities and blithely kill those who stand against their brutality do not?

I can think of no law more unjust than our laws against marijuana.

I sincerely hope you are successful. I know in my heart that you will not be. There are too many people making too much money from the current state of affairs to ever allow anything so banal as decency to enter the conversation.

But thank you for trying.

Sincerely.

Thank you for being a decent man in a parliament of whores.

thank you for sharing your story

What is one thing that you think everyone should know/ talk about that isn't being discussed here?

well my passion is for improving schools and education, so I would love questions about my many bills that do that also ideas from redditors

The biggest thing that needs to be improved, IMO, is vocational education in high school.

At the high school I went to, there was a track where students would graduate already qualified to take their exam to get their LPN certification. Other high schools in the same district had programs for pharmacy tech, culinary arts (sanitation/nutrition/hospitality supervision certs), optometry assistant, etc. Students would graduate high school ready to work in a skilled position - no need to spend thousands of dollars getting a two-year degree etc.

After I graduated high school and moved elsewhere, I was surprised to find out that these programs were not more widespread. So many people are unnecessarily stuck at entry-level work because they graduate high school needing to start work right away (due to parents' financial situation, not feeling like 4yr college is a good fit for them, etc), and then not having the time or financial resources to enroll in classes when they're already working full-time near minimum wage.

I am a HUGE fan of these programs that give kids real skills in high school. It also helps keep people in school if they know it will give them a real skill that will help them find work

Do you ever plan on running for president?

no specific plans

Hi Jared, thanks for doing another AMA. I voted for you this past fall and I am proud that you are now representing Fort Collins since the redistricting! You have been serving us well!

Being one of your constituents, I want to ask you a question about the issue that concerns me the most: Money in politics. Everything from corporate lobbying to Citizens United, I believe that the role money has played in politics especially within the last decade has gotten worse and is the biggest issue that politicians are not actively discussing. What do you believe is a realistic approach of attempting to start to solve this broad issue?

I strongly support campaign finance reform and am a co-sponsor of both the DISCLOSE act and the FAIR Election Act.

I also admire Lawrence Lessig's ideas on this matter.

I agree it is of critical importance to do what we can to reduce the influence of money in politics

What are you doing to help remove the penny from circulation?

It is a major drain, not only in the sense of minting costs (it takes more than 1c to make 1c) but in opportunity costs as well.

Thank you Congressman Polis!

agree completely. Of course the penny should be eliminated to save money.

How is it possible that the government can not see the benefits of legalizing and taxing marijuana? Not to mention, that the cash crop of hemp could be used as a renewable resource that also generated millions of dollars in tax revenue and goods? In your opinion, how do we make the aging political system understand that this drug can stimulate the economy and provide countless jobs... that are wanted and needed by the people.

I ask myself those questions too. It seems obvious to me.

Your involvement helps, call your Congressmember and Senator and tell them to support HR499 and remove federal ban on marijuana

As someone that's supporting marijuana, have you ever used it yourself?

nope, no desire to. I like reality too much.

That is an odd response to someone pushing marijuana reform. Marijuana is a stress-reliever for someone who does not have a hormonal imbalance and is trying to avoid using those frightening pharmaceutical drugs.

It is a far less harmful and addicrive drug than many of the drugs that are perscribed for pain like opiates

I think if you feel stress you should work it out psychologically and not rely on chemicals to reduce your stress. That's my personal opinion and I certainly wouldn't force that on anyone else.

We share the same first name. What's your favorite Subway sandwich?

Yeah those jokes never get old fellow Jared

Yeah those jokes never get old fellow Jared

I have a picture of you on my wall sir. Its not much, but I'm just a college student.

I remember listening to you for quite some time. As you kept proposing changes to the bill I believe. Everytime they voted against you, you proposed another change. It was awesome.

I'm, um, flattered I guess.

Hi Mr. Polis! My comment isn't related to politics at all. I just wanted to tell you to thank your parents for their poetry and artwork from me. When I was younger, I was going through a difficult period in my life and I found "One World, One Heart" while waiting in an airport. It was beautiful and comforting during that time.

I appreciate their efforts for making the world a better place, and your efforts as well for what you do.

Thank you! That means a lot to me and I will forward your kind words to my parents Susan Polis Schutz and Stephen Schutz

Hello Mr. Polis, Ive been following your work through congress for the past couple years now. I was really impressed by your interest in technology and bridging the communication gap between representatives and voters and it made you one of my favorite congressmen. You were also a role model to me as one of the first openly gay congressional members as I have an interest in leadership and government. While nothing major like running for a senate seat or even at my state level, I have ran for multiple positions on my campus and would like to get into politics if computer science doesnt work out for me. Now I do not have many questions about what you are currently on, I wanted to take this opportunity to ask you to play a game of League of Legends with me. I can promise not to reveal your ign or anything in regards to people figuring out what your ign is, this is just a friendly invitation to play my favorite game with one of my favorite congressmen.

I've played w a few redditors, private message me your name on LoL and I'll contact u there

Mr. Polis, I am doing some research for a school essay I am writing about the legalization of all forms Marijuana, and have a few question for you.

1.) How do you propose states regulate Marijuana?

2.) How do you feel about Marijuana for recreational use?

3.) As someone who lives in Missouri, not Colorado, how will your bill effect me if passed?

and 4.) Is HR 499 just a national expansion of the bill that passed in 2012?

1) However they want to! I don't really have an opinion on what other states do. I voted for Amendment 64 to legalize it in Colorado.

2) I think it is not a good idea to use marijuana, alcohol, or tobacco for recreation. If one uses any of these they should do so in moderation and in the case of alcohol and marijuana not drive afterwards

3) It'll give the Missouri the option of legalizing it under state law

4) no, not sure what you mean

I'm asking if HR 499 is Amendment 64 for everyone.

no it gets rid of the federal ban, but marijuana is currently illegal in every state except WA and CO under state law as far as I know

Hello Rep. Polis! I appreciate your recognizing the need to update our marijuana policies. Is there anything we as citizens can do to get our legislators' to also work towards addressing this issue?

Call your member of Congress and tell them to co-sponsor HR 499 to allow states to regulate marijuana and remove the federal ban

Hi Congressman Polis, thanks for sponsoring the uniting american families act, a bill that is very important to me and the lgbt community. The senate has not included LGBT families in their CIR framework while President Obama has... any idea if the house is going to include us... how can we help you to make sure that it is an inclusive CIR, one that includes ALL families?

Of course immigration reform needs to help reunite families, including same sex families. We have several heartbreaking cases from CO we've worked on in which one spouse is torn away from their kids.

President Obama included same sex families and we need to make sure the Senate and House do the same, call your member of Congress and Senator!

Mr Polis,

Since you represent one of the largest brewing constituencies in the US and also are a proponent of marijuana reform, how do you feel about the common comparison of marijuana being safer than alcohol?

I don't think either is healthy, but clearly marijuana in moderation is not as harmful as being an alcoholic or drinking too much

Mr. Polis,

Do you feel you face more discrimination from your Republican colleagues for your sexuality or your political positions? From whom have you faced the most discrimination? Whom among republicans have you found to be the most accepting?

Also, I have sad news to report. Sun Deli doesn't have guitars anymore.

Sorry to hear about Sun.

I have never seen discrimination to my face, I wouldn't know what goes on behind my back. Most members of Congress respect one another and understand that our system is one of civil debate.

Congressman Polis, as I understand it, you represent the great state of Colorado. My question is how has cannabis legalization affected your state and would you recommend the legal parameters your state has set in place for cannabis to be applied to other states or even for federal law?

I would definitely recommend what our state has done for medical marijuana. We have a great regulatory system that keeps people safe, prevents kids from getting access, keeps the criminal element out, etc. Nothing is perfect but I give CO an A.

It's too early to tell for full legalization, it just started but I do think they have a great process to determine the rules that will hopefully result in a good system.