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Barney Frank Was Into Legalization, Gay Marriage Wicked Early

Published on April 22, 2019 · Last updated July 28, 2020
Legalization Lion: Rep. Barney Frank did 32 years in Congress, repping Massachusetts on legalization, marriage equality, banking reform. (Lisa Poole/AP)
Legalization Lion: Rep. Barney Frank did 32 years in Congress, repping Massachusetts on legalization, marriage equality, banking reform. (Lisa Poole/AP)

Cannabis legalization might feel like a novelty in America, but no suh. It’s actually taken way too long.

Just ask Congressman Barney Frank of Massachusetts, who proposed the country’s first legalization bill in 1972. Rep. Frank stands among the true godfathers of cannabis law reform.

“We had to push Obama to carry through on what he said he wanted to do.”

Barney Frank left office in 2013, and earlier this year, he entered the weed game through a partnership with the Massachusetts wholesale company Greentown Beantown.

We had to learn more, so we snagged an interview with Rep. Frank in New York City where he relayed some key lessons from cannabis law reform’s history, including its parallels with the marriage equality movement.

Listen to the interview by hitting the play button, you hear?

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The Hash, Season 4, Episode 15: Legalization Lion Rep. Barney Frank

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Leafly Podcasts bring the latest in cannabis news, products, and culture directly to your ears each week. Subscribe to The Roll-Up, What Are You Smoking?, The Hash, and The High Life on podcast outlets like iTunes, Spotify, and beyond.
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