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AP File Photos of Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) and Rep. Barney Frank (D-Massachusetts). WASHINGTON (AP)—Two House members introduced a bill Thursday that would remove marijuana from the list of federal controlled substances and cede to the states enforcement of laws governing pot. The legislation would eliminate marijuana-specific penalties under federal law, but would maintain a ban on transporting marijuana across state lines. It would allow individuals to grow and sell marijuana in states that make it legal. The bill has no chance of passing the Republican-controlled House. The bill was introduced by Democrat Barney Frank of Massachusetts and Ron Paul, a Texas Republican running for his party’s presidential nomination. Four Democrats are co-sponsors: John Conyers of Michigan, Barbara Lee of California, Jared Polis of Colorado and Steve Cohen of Tennessee. “Criminally prosecuting adults for making the choice to smoke marijuana is a waste of law enforcement resources and an intrusion on personal freedom,” Frank said. “I do not advocate urging people to smoke marijuana. Neither do I urge them to drink alcoholic beverages or smoke tobacco. But in none of these cases do I think prohibition enforced by criminal sanctions is good public policy.” The bill would have to go through the House Judiciary Committee. Chairman Lamar Smith, R-Texas, said his panel would not consider it. “Marijuana use and distribution is prohibited under federal law because it has a high potential for abuse and does not have an accepted medical use in the U.S.,” Smith said. “The Food and Drug Administration has not approved smoked marijuana for any condition or disease. “Decriminalizing marijuana will only lead to millions more Americans becoming addicted to drugs and greater profits for drug cartels who fund violence along the U.S.-Mexico border. Allowing states to determine their own marijuana policy flies in the face of Supreme Court precedent.”
Ron Paul And Barney Frank Introduce Legislation To End Federal Ban On Marijuana
A libertarian Republican seeking his party’s nomination for president and one of the most liberal members of the Democratic caucus seek to decriminalize marijuana at the federal level. Probably won’t get out of committee, however.
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itsmalena a year agoTo quote an earlier comment “It would be down right stupid to legalize weed. Imagine the minorities roaming the streets while high. We can’t have that happen, they’re minorities and don’t understand how to handle themselves.” It’s not just the minorities that get high. I think medical marijuana should be legal but this is always a touchy subject.
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Ross Levine a year agoThis is why our government sucks (I mean this in a non-partisan way). Barnie Frank has been talking about this bill for years now, and it’s only nw about to get shown? And after all that it will be a non-starter of a bill, so obvious to fail and yet he’s still putting all this effort and time into it? I know sometimes people do things that will obvious fail just to get the word out and make a statement, but it just seems kind of sad that no real change can be proferred, just years and years of grindingly slow deliberation to deliberate on a bill that really has zero chance of making it out of the house anyway? Either we need a new system, or craftier people behind the new laws and changes we need.
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Atomic Radiation, duh! a year agoThe government can make so much money and fast food places would triumph. Guess it would cause some obesity, but WTF let stop the money spent on “War on drugs”!
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