The Marijuana Policy Project reports that in the wake of Monday’s Supreme Court ruling, the House will be voting sometime next week on an Amendment to the Justice Department Budget banning the use of appropriated funds for arrest and prosecution of patients protected by State laws. The Hinchey/Rohrabacher Amendment garnered 148 votes last year, 128 from Democrats, 19 from Republicans, and one from Independent Bernie Sanders. Had all Dems voted yes, the measure would have carried. 2004 Roll Call
MPP provides a link to contact your Representative. (The web page says next few weeks, “next week” comes from today’s email)
2004 text:
“None of the funds made available in this Act to the Department of Justice may be used to prevent the States of Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont, or Washington from implementing State laws authorizing the use of medical marijuana in those States.”
This year’s text is expected to be the same, with the addition of Montana.
Prominent Democrats who opposed last year’s Medical Marijuana budget amendment: Ford, Emanuel, Langevin, Herseth.
The vote was 268-148 against with 17 members not voting, so we would need to pick up a fair bit. Unfortunately, many people in both parties are under the delusion that putting sick people in prison is necessary to fight against drug abuse. I believe that the medical marijuana debate is strong evidence that the War on Drugs is not based on reason. The people who supported the Marijuana Tax Act, which outlawed the drug federally in 1937, included corporate leaders who wanted to eliminate competition from industrial hemp and racists who associated the drug with Mexicans (actually, that is why it came to be called marijuana). Unfortunately, MPP’s link is heavy on religion – basically, you should vote for medical marijuana because these churches say so. I will look for another link that is religion neutral.
they’re pitching the religious endorsements because: a) they worked hard to get them. b) they actually produce calls c) they’re trying to sell Members of the House.
I’m checking the other orgs in the field, no-one has this as a “next week” item.
Since it’s a floor Amendment, I’d guess MPP just today learned that the Budget Bill is going next week.
courtesy Drug Policy Alliance
The Judiciary budget has now been calendared.