It’s generally against the rules for journalists to accept gifts from sources—we can’t have bribes clouding our judgment—but there is one notable exception to this rule. It’s colloquially referred to as the “Holy Shit! A Member of British Parliament Just Handed Me a Joint” Exception.
Recently, Crispin Blunt, who happens to be a member of British Parliament, reached into his pocket as we were sitting at the Kimpton Palladian Hotel on Second Avenue and pulled out a pre-rolled joint covered in keef and oil.
“I won’t be needing this, so here’s a little care package,” Blunt said, with a bit of a smile in the corner of his lips.
What brought this member of Parliament into my life, and why was he in possession of a joint in the first place? Blunt is part of a group of politicians in the United Kingdom’s version of Congress who are advocating for cannabis reform. He was here to learn a thing or two from how Washington State legalized pot.
