Rep. Matt Gaetz was blunt in his assessment of White House counselor Kellyanne Conway’s views on marijuana legalization, calling her a “boomer” whose generation is behind the times.
Appearing on CNN, the 37-year-old Florida Republican watched an April clip of Conway, 52, questioning the potency of marijuana and expressing concerns about its effects on the brain. She also took a hit at proponents of legalization and said there were professionals who were worried about its use.
“For all the folks who talk about the benefits and the legality of marijuana, there are many health professionals and employers increasingly concerned that this is not your grandfather or your father’s marijuana. The TCH components are much stronger. We just can’t say it’s all good for all people at this moment. We’re very concerned about the effect on the brain among young people,” Conway said.
Gaetz, a close confidant of President Trump, was asked about whether he has discussed the issue of marijuana reform with Trump.
“I have worked to be a positive influence with the president on marijuana reform,” Gaetz said with a grin. “To my friend Kellyanne Conway, I would say, ‘OK, boomer!’” The phrase is a reference to a meme recently made popular on social media by millennials and Generation Z, who use it as a quick way to dismiss members of the roughly 55- to 75-year-old baby boomer generation.
“I mean, that’s a very boomer approach to marijuana if for no other reason that it’s actually THC, not TCH,” Gaetz said. “And I think that her reflection shows a real ignorance to the science demonstrating that in states where there are marijuana programs you see a reduction of Schedule I drug recommendations, you also see a reduction in the types of overdoses that are crippling our country and hollowing out America.”
Gaetz also said that among young people, there is growing support for the budding industry.
“This is not an issue that young people are fighting about. This is largely generational more than it is partisan,” he said.
The House Judiciary Committee recently passed legislation to end the federal government’s criminalization of marijuana.
Although the legislation was sponsored by Democratic New York Rep. Jerry Nadler, passage of the bill was a joint effort, with Gaetz signing on as a co-sponsor and voting in favor of the legislation. The bill passed through the committee with a 24-10 vote.
