Members of the United States House of Representatives are anticipated to vote as early as tonight on a series of amendments to a Justice Department spending bill. Several of these amendments seek to limit the federal government’s ability to intrude in states that have regulated various aspects of marijuana production and access.
Specifically, Representatives Tom McClintock (R-CA) and Jared Polis (D-CO) are introducing a provision to halt the federal prosecution of individuals involved in marijuana-related activities in instances when those activities are in strict compliance with the laws of their respective states.
Twenty-three states (and the District of Columbia) permit the medical use of cannabis, while four states now regulate the plant’s production and sale to all adults. (Washington, DC imposes no penalties on the personal use, possession, and cultivation of the plant, but does not allow for its retail sale.) More than a dozen additional states permit patients to possess a specific anti-convulsant compound found in the marijuana plant, known as cannabidiol. Nearly half of all states permit farmers to cultivate industrial strains of cannabis.
Congressional passage of the McClintock/Polis amendment would allow these states, and the citizens who reside in them, to engage in these permitted activities free from any threat of federal interference or prosecution. It is time for Congress to respect these measures and the rights of voters and state lawmakers who resoundingly support them.
Other pending amendments to be voted on in the coming days seek to shift DEA funding priorities away from marijuana eradication and stimulate federal research into the plant’s therapeutic properties. A separate amendment seeking reauthorization from Congress would continue to limit the Justice Department’s authority in states that regulate the use of medicinal marijuana as part of a state-licensed program.
Please contact/call your US Representative today to support the McClintock/Polis amendment. Let Congress know that the majority of voters, including majorities of both political parties, agree that the government should not enforce federal marijuana laws in states that allow its use.
Please enter your zip code below to contact your House members and urge them to support this pending legislation. You can also call your member of the House by clicking here.
National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws – Advocacy Campaigns
