These Members of Congress Ate Hemp Scones and Drank Raw Milk to Protest Federal Food Regulations

By Hunter Schwartz
Source: ijreview.com

Two members of Congress ate illegal food Friday and got away with it.

Reps. Jared Polis (D-Colo.) and Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) ate their meal Friday at Jezebel’s, a Denver restaurant. The reason they aren’t under criminal investigation, though? Because they were in Colorado, and while the dishes they ate are against the law to buy, they brought the food themselves.

Their meal of “forbidden and restricted foods,” as Polis called it, was to bring attention to federal rules they hope to change that limit how food can be sold.

Here’s what they ate:

Image courtesy of the office of Rep. Jared Polis

Hemp scones

Hemp cannot be grown or sold in the U.S., except in certain states, and only then with a permit, because it’s a controlled substance according to federal law. The scones cannot get you high.

Non-inspected steak

Beef can only be sold if it came from cows processed through USDA-approved facilities, or if it’s sold as a full, half, or quarter cow. It cannot be sold by the individual steak. Massie brought the steak from cows on his farm.

Image courtesy of the office of Rep. Jared Polis

Non-inspected eggs

Just like beef, eggs have to be inspected, too. These eggs came from Polis’ sister’s boyfriend’s backyard chicken coop.

Kombucha

Kombucha can ferment and be over .5 percent alcohol, so it could technically be sold under liquor laws. But even though fermented kombucha is disgusting and no one would want it, it would take about eight fermented kombuchas to equal one beer.

Raw milk

Raw milk is illegal to transport across state lines and illegal to sell in some states. Sounds sinister.

Image courtesy of the office of Rep. Jared Polis

Polis and Massie are supporting legislation to change some of these regulations, including the Milk Freedom Act and Prime Act.