Federal bills introduced to support medical marijuana and decriminalize possession

[DerekWilson]

Here's the easy way -- links to prewritten letters automatically emailed to the appropriate party based on your personal information:

To support the "Personal Use of Marijuana by Responsible Adults Act" head here:

https://secure2.convio.net/mpp...page=UserAction&id=346

To support the "Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act" head here:

https://secure2.convio.net/mpp...page=UserAction&id=339

If you can, writing a personal letter, calling, or going to see your representative when they are in their local office makes a very big impact (which can be much larger than an email).

These bills are both hugely important and could significantly impact the lives of the millions of sick and dying people in the US who could benefit from medical use of cannabis and would reduce the drain on our prison population by the nearly 800,000+ people arrested per year for marijuana related crime (most of whom are arrested only for simple possession).

I'm for whole sale legalization and regulation on the order of alcohol since cannabis is safer than both alcohol and tobacco. But every step towards more sensible drug policy is a step in the right direction.

 

[TruePaige]

To add from NORML:

Washington, DC: Massachusetts Democrat Barney Frank, along with co-sponsors Ron Paul (R-TX); Maurice Hinchey (D-NY); Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA); and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), will reintroduce legislation today to limit the federal government?s authority to arrest and prosecute minor marijuana offenders.norml_remember_prohibition_

The measure, entitled an ?Act to Remove Federal Penalties for Personal Use of Marijuana by Responsible Adults,? would eliminate federal penalties for the personal possession of up to 100 grams (over three and one-half ounces) of cannabis and for the not-for-profit transfer of up to one ounce of pot ? making the prosecutions of these offenses strictly a state matter.

Under federal law, defendants found guilty of possessing small amounts of cannabis for their own personal use face up to one year imprisonment and a $1,000 fine.

Passage of this act would provide state lawmakers the choice to maintain their current penalties for minor marijuana offenses or eliminate them completely. Lawmakers would also have the option to explore legal alternatives to tax and regulate the adult use and distribution of cannabis free from federal interference.

To date, thirteen states have enacted laws ?decriminalizing? the possession of marijuana by adults. Minor marijuana offenders face a citation and small fine in lieu of a criminal arrest or time in jail.

?The federal government has much more important business to attend to than targeting, arresting and prosecuting adults who use marijuana responsibly,? NORML Executive Director Allen St. Pierre said. ?This is an issue that ought to be handled by the states, not the Feds.?

According to nationwide polls, three out of four voters believe that adults who possess marijuana should not face arrest or jail, and one out of two now say that cannabis should be regulated like alcohol.

The reintroduction of the Frank/Paul bill comes one week after the duo reintroduced HR 2835, The Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act of 2009 ? which seeks to halt federal interference in states that have enacted medical marijuana laws ? and just days after Rep. Mark Kirk (R-IL) called for federal legislation to sentence certain first-time marijuana offenders to 25 years in prison.

?The US Congress has a definite choice,? said St. Pierre. ?They can choose the path of compassion, fiscal responsibility, and common sense by supporting Barney Frank?s and Ron Paul?s efforts, or they can continue down America?s failed drug war path by endorsing Rep. Kirk?s draconian legislation. It is abundantly clear which direction the voters wish to go; will their elected officials follow??

 

[Acanthus]

Good links.

I support both of these measures in the same sense you do Derek... I'd say legalize it and tax it... But anything to get us away from the silly "War on Drugs" that does nothing but imprison people and waste police resources.

For the record, I don't smoke pot.

 

[Mursilis]

Originally posted by: TruePaige

Washington, DC: Massachusetts Democrat Barney Frank, along with co-sponsors Ron Paul (R-TX); Maurice Hinchey (D-NY); Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA); and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), will reintroduce legislation today to limit the federal government?s authority to arrest and prosecute minor marijuana offenders.norml_remember_prohibition_

Talk about spanning the political spectrum! :thumbsup: to these sponsors!

just days after Rep. Mark Kirk (R-IL) called for federal legislation to sentence certain first-time marijuana offenders to 25 years in prison.

:roll: What an idiot.

 

[Mursilis]

Originally posted by: Acanthus
Good links.

I support both of these measures in the same sense you do Derek... I'd say legalize it and tax it... But anything to get us away from the silly "War on Drugs" that does nothing but imprison people and waste police resources.

You forgot erode civil liberties.

 

[nakedfrog]

Congress doesn't have the stones to vote in favor of this one.

 

[TechBoyJK]

Originally posted by: TruePaige
To add from NORML:

Washington, DC: Massachusetts Democrat Barney Frank, along with co-sponsors Ron Paul (R-TX); Maurice Hinchey (D-NY); Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA); and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), will reintroduce legislation today to limit the federal government?s authority to arrest and prosecute minor marijuana offenders.norml_remember_prohibition_

The measure, entitled an ?Act to Remove Federal Penalties for Personal Use of Marijuana by Responsible Adults,? would eliminate federal penalties for the personal possession of up to 100 grams (over three and one-half ounces) of cannabis and for the not-for-profit transfer of up to one ounce of pot ? making the prosecutions of these offenses strictly a state matter.

Under federal law, defendants found guilty of possessing small amounts of cannabis for their own personal use face up to one year imprisonment and a $1,000 fine.

Passage of this act would provide state lawmakers the choice to maintain their current penalties for minor marijuana offenses or eliminate them completely. Lawmakers would also have the option to explore legal alternatives to tax and regulate the adult use and distribution of cannabis free from federal interference.

To date, thirteen states have enacted laws ?decriminalizing? the possession of marijuana by adults. Minor marijuana offenders face a citation and small fine in lieu of a criminal arrest or time in jail.

?The federal government has much more important business to attend to than targeting, arresting and prosecuting adults who use marijuana responsibly,? NORML Executive Director Allen St. Pierre said. ?This is an issue that ought to be handled by the states, not the Feds.?

According to nationwide polls, three out of four voters believe that adults who possess marijuana should not face arrest or jail, and one out of two now say that cannabis should be regulated like alcohol.

The reintroduction of the Frank/Paul bill comes one week after the duo reintroduced HR 2835, The Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act of 2009 ? which seeks to halt federal interference in states that have enacted medical marijuana laws ? and just days after Rep. Mark Kirk (R-IL) called for federal legislation to sentence certain first-time marijuana offenders to 25 years in prison.

?The US Congress has a definite choice,? said St. Pierre. ?They can choose the path of compassion, fiscal responsibility, and common sense by supporting Barney Frank?s and Ron Paul?s efforts, or they can continue down America?s failed drug war path by endorsing Rep. Kirk?s draconian legislation. It is abundantly clear which direction the voters wish to go; will their elected officials follow??

LOL @ 25 years for first time minor possession of pot. 30k per year x 25 years for a $5 joint? LOL! That's insane.

 

[Kirby]

Originally posted by: nakedfrog
Congress doesn't have the stones to vote in favor of this one.

 

[Moonbeam]

There are already millions of people out of work. We need millions more assholes willing to seek out capture and prosecute people for enjoying drugs for a buck. You shouldn't be able to take a shit without it being tested. If drugs can enter the country it's but a step from suitcase nuclear weapons.

 

[frostedflakes]

Not even going to bother, I know my representatives would never support this. I really don't see these bills getting far in Congress anyways.

 

[Craig234]

Sent both. I think my Congressman, Pete Stark, is likely to support them.

 

[bamacre]

Originally posted by: nakedfrog
Congress doesn't have the stones to vote in favor of this one.

Well now that the Democrats have a majority, I don't see why not. I mean they are socially liberal, right?

 

[Ns1]

Originally posted by: Moonbeam
There are already millions of people out of work. We need millions more assholes willing to seek out capture and prosecute people for enjoying drugs for a buck. You shouldn't be able to take a shit without it being tested. If drugs can enter the country it's but a step from suitcase nuclear weapons.

*taps sarcasm meter*

Is this thing working?

*tap tap*

 

[Craig234]

Originally posted by: Ns1

Originally posted by: Moonbeam
There are already millions of people out of work. We need millions more assholes willing to seek out capture and prosecute people for enjoying drugs for a buck. You shouldn't be able to take a shit without it being tested. If drugs can enter the country it's but a step from suitcase nuclear weapons.

*taps sarcasm meter*

Is this thing working?

*tap tap*

Read his sig.

 

[Craig234]

Originally posted by: bamacre

Originally posted by: nakedfrog
Congress doesn't have the stones to vote in favor of this one.

Well now that the Democrats have a majority, I don't see why not. I mean they are socially liberal, right?

Where do polls show their constituents on it?

 

[OCGuy]

Originally posted by: bamacre

Originally posted by: nakedfrog
Congress doesn't have the stones to vote in favor of this one.

Well now that the Democrats have a majority, I don't see why not. I mean they are socially liberal, right?

No, the majority of democrats do not support outright legalization, including Obama.


They should support MMJ though.

The decriminalization of possession for non-medical MJ use is not something we will be seeing.

 

[Ns1]

Originally posted by: Craig234

Read his sig.

:laugh:

thanks

 

[bamacre]

Originally posted by: Craig234

Originally posted by: bamacre

Originally posted by: nakedfrog
Congress doesn't have the stones to vote in favor of this one.

Well now that the Democrats have a majority, I don't see why not. I mean they are socially liberal, right?

Where do polls show their constituents on it?

More supported marijuana legalization than the stimulus package...
http://www.unitedliberty.org/a...-than-stimulus-package

Sooo, no problems, right?

 

[Jaskalas]

I support this effort, if it fails to pass then perhaps I am more liberal than liberals themselves.

 

[nakedfrog]

Originally posted by: bamacre

Originally posted by: nakedfrog
Congress doesn't have the stones to vote in favor of this one.

Well now that the Democrats have a majority, I don't see why not. I mean they are socially liberal, right?

Nice try, you dirty hippie!
You know as well as I do they all look out for #1 first no matter which side of the aisle they're on.

 

[Fern]

Passage of this act would provide state lawmakers the choice to maintain their current penalties for minor marijuana offenses or eliminate them completely. Lawmakers would also have the option to explore legal alternatives to tax and regulate the adult use and distribution of cannabis free from federal interference.

As a Conservative I would have to support this legislation even if I didn't believe in decriminalization or medical marajiana (which i do).

I see this a "State's Rights" type bill and is in acordance with the Constitution as originally intended.

Explaining it this way may give politicians the 'stones' to vote for it even if they are from conservative districts.

Fern

 

[Mursilis]

Originally posted by: Fern

Passage of this act would provide state lawmakers the choice to maintain their current penalties for minor marijuana offenses or eliminate them completely. Lawmakers would also have the option to explore legal alternatives to tax and regulate the adult use and distribution of cannabis free from federal interference.

As a Conservative I would have to support this legislation even if I didn't believe in decriminalization or medical marajiana (which i do).

I see this a "State's Rights" type bill and is in acordance with the Constitution as originally intended.

Explaining it this way may give politicians the 'stones' to vote for it even if they are from conservative districts.

Fern

It would be nice if the populace (and the politicians they elect) acted on principle like that, but that's pretty naive. Most of the sheeple don't have a coherent theory of gov't; they just latch onto various policies for mostly irrational reasons. How else can you explain people supporting abortion as a 'right to decide the fate of my own body' issue, but not pot on the same basis?

 

[frostedflakes]

Originally posted by: Fern

Passage of this act would provide state lawmakers the choice to maintain their current penalties for minor marijuana offenses or eliminate them completely. Lawmakers would also have the option to explore legal alternatives to tax and regulate the adult use and distribution of cannabis free from federal interference.

As a Conservative I would have to support this legislation even if I didn't believe in decriminalization or medical marajiana (which i do).

I see this a "State's Rights" type bill and is in acordance with the Constitution as originally intended.

Explaining it this way may give politicians the 'stones' to vote for it even if they are from conservative districts.

Fern

That's a good way to look at it. Unfortunately I think many who espouse states' rights only do so when it is conducive to their own agenda. I doubt many conservatives will support these bills, and there will probably be a fair number of Democrats opposed as well.

Would be nice if I was wrong, though.

 

[NoWhereM]

I e-mailed and called my congresswoman's office, Ginny Brown-Waite, in 2007 and asked her to add her name to a list of congressman and congresswomen who were concerned about the DEA going after pain managment specialists before the July 12th Judiciary Committee hearing regarding the DEA. She simply responded that she wasn't a member of the Judiciary Committee, which she didn't need to be to add her name.

If she wasn't concerned about the DEA going after pain management specialists I don't think I can count on her support for legislation regarding medical marijuana.

 

[bamacre]

Originally posted by: nakedfrog

Originally posted by: bamacre

Originally posted by: nakedfrog
Congress doesn't have the stones to vote in favor of this one.

Well now that the Democrats have a majority, I don't see why not. I mean they are socially liberal, right?

Nice try, you dirty hippie!
You know as well as I do they all look out for #1 first no matter which side of the aisle they're on.

No, dude, that's not true anymore. Today we have change, change I can believe in! :thumbsup: