Bill would eliminate federal prohibition of marijuana
Online Staff Report
U.S. Reps. Ron Paul (R-Texas) and Barney Frank (D-Mass.) were to introduce a bill June 23 that would eliminate the federal prohibition of marijuana. The bill would instead allow states to legalize, regulate and tax marijuana.
Using as a blueprint the 21st Amendment to the Constitution, which repealed the prohibition of alcoholic beverages, the legislation is being described by the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) as “the first bill ever introduced in Congress to end federal marijuana prohibition.”
The bill would “end state/federal conflicts over marijuana policy, re-prioritize federal resources and provide more room for states to do what is best for their own citizens,” according to MPP.
Priority would shift away from the enforcement of anti-marijuana laws, “limiting the federal government’s role in combating cross-border and interstate smuggling, as well as in fighting the growth, use and sale of the drug,” Politico reported.
A USA Today report added: “The Marijuana Policy Project highlights that 46.5 percent of Californians voted for Proposition 19. It also cites a report released this month by the Global Commission on Drug Policy that slammed the decades-old war on drugs and called on governments to take a look at decriminalizing marijuana and other drugs.”
CNN Money termed the bill a long shot, but said it could be the start of a conversation.
Joining Paul and Frank as co-sponsors of the bill are U.S. Reps. John Conyers (D-Mich.), Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.), Jared Polis (D-Colo.) and Barbara Lee (D-Calif.).
Paul, a candidate for the Republican nomination for president in the 2012 election, is the only Republican sponsor of the bill, which is being presented as bipartisan.
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One Comment
Federal law cannot prohibit drugs that are not transferred across state and federal lines. What you grow and use at home without selling or buying it is free for all! Federal law restricts drug trafficking by the way of the commerce clause in the constitution. Unlike the alcohol prohibition amendment to the constitution that was overturned, there are no federal rules for drugs made and used in the same state!
To win in the federal courts, you need to prove that the drug you are using does not fall under the commerce clause of the constitution. It CAN be done!
The goal of the bill, HR 2306, is not to legalize marijuana but to remove it from the list of federally controlled substances while allowing states to decide how they will regulate it.
The bill appears doomed on arrival, according to the Associated Press, which reported that House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith said his panel, which the proposed law is required to venture through, would not even consider it.
A first step to allow the good stuff in without the narcotic label is long over due!
Sadly, the feds have little to do with the law being legal for use in Illinois. The state has lengthy laws and regulations concerning drugs of all kinds. Unless the federal government mentions the drug by name as legal for all, we will continue to have legal problems with the state.
I am not a current user, but I would not be opposed to venturing back to a younger period in my life.
This being said, I agree and applaud employers who restrict the private use of drugs in the workplace. I have no problem with an employer testing me for drugs as a condition for employment and at periodic times as they may desire. As long as the testing is known about before hand, it is up to the employer and not the worker what the employer wants to deal with.
As I see so many of my relatives paying more than my rent payment for drugs just to live on, I welcome the idea of making all drugs free for all to use. If you want Heroine, knock yourself out! If you like the smell of garbage in your clothes and your house, be a pothead. If you are a lush or a speed freak, belly up to the table and have at it! As I see it, my rights end where yours begin! If you want to ruin your life, no matter how much you are advised not to, then you should be on your own.
I will go to the doctor and ask for his recommendations. Then I should be able to get it all without insurance for a buck at Wall-Mart or make it right in my tub! Why do we need the government to make it so that my insurance better pay of I can’t have my medicine?
So drop Barney Frank off at the bank, and let’s get a responsible person from the Democrats to help sponsor the bill! ARE there any responsible Democrats?