Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Rand Paul (R-KY) team up on marijuana legislation

[RainDog]

The bill to which this amendment is attached is scheduled for hearing today in the Senate.

https://www.drugpolicy.org/news/2014/06/breaking-news-senators-rand-paul-r-ky-and-cory-booker-d-nj-offer-groundbreaking-medical

Senators Rand Paul (R-KY) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) will offer an amendment to a federal spending bill that would prohibit the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) from undermining state marijuana laws. The House approved a similar bipartisan measure on May 29th. An amendment prohibiting the DEA from interfering with state hemp production for research purposes also passed the U.S. House. The Senate Appropriations Committee approved a similar hemp amendment in committee June 5th that was offered by Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Mitch McConnell (R-KY).

“The House just made history last month by voting to stop the DEA from interfering with state marijuana laws,” said Bill Piper, director of national affairs for the Drug Policy Alliance. “Now every U.S. Senator has the opportunity to provide relief for the sick and dying – and to be on the right side of history, not to mention public opinion.”

The House medical marijuana amendment was offered by six Republicans and six Democrats: Reps. Rohrabacher (R-CA), Farr (D-CA), Young (R-AK), Blumenauer (D-OR), McClintock (R-CA), Cohen (D-TN), Broun (R-GA), Polis (D-CO), Stockman (R-TX), Lee (D-CA), Amash (R-MI) and Titus (D-NV). 170 Democrats and 49 Republicans voted for the amendment.

Twenty-two states (now twenty-three, with New York, within the last hour) and the District of Columbia have laws that legalize and regulate marijuana for medicinal purposes: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington. Ten states have laws on the books or about to be signed into law by their governors regulating CBD oils, a non-psychotropic component of medical marijuana that some parents are utilizing to treat their children’s seizures: Alabama, Florida, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, and Wisconsin.

[fizzgig]

1. good to see the two sides working together on something

my rep was a co-sponsor of the house bill and i know my senators will be on board.

[RainDog]

2. I've been looking for a live stream

but haven't found one yet, even tho the Senate stream said they're in session now.

[RainDog]

3. Sixty-six percent

Sixty-six percent, 33 states and D.C., have created laws that acknowledge the medical benefit of cannabis.

I hope the Senate takes this into account.

The American people are telling the federal govt. it needs to repeal cannabis law in this nation.

[Uncle Joe]

4. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, RainDog.

[Styx]

5. hmm.

Wonder why they don't just go for a straight repeal of the federal prohibition and leave it to State law by default.

[RainDog]

6. There's a bill in the House

that would do exactly that.

There was a bill in the House last year that did exactly that.

Republicans obstruct hearings, even, on these bills. They never get past some pasty-faced gin swiller who wants to keep waging war on the American people.

The guy who entered the bill last year, Jared Polis (D-CO) said he doesn't think Congress will address the issue.

I guess the right wing in this nation can't upset all the law enforcement agencies that would have to actually deal with crime rather than busting someone for possession, and, of course, Republicans get fat donations from the for-profit prison industry, so they've made a commitment to that revenue stream by this continued war on the American people.

The alcoholic beverage industries don't want the competition, either.

So, if this is the best we can get out of Congress, we'll have to go directly to Obama with petitions to decriminalize via the AG's office.

Congress as it exists now is pretty worthless, with all the gerrymandered districts. So the American people don't have representation because Republicans made it so that they get elected even when people don't support them or their policies.

petty dictators.

[Styx]

7. It really sucks...

With the money we spend incarcerating non-violent drug offenders, we could build a real system for treatment of addiction. We could invest in research that might actually yield solutions. The sheer stupidity involved in "war on..." drugs, poverty, terror, insert-your-non-people-here... might as well declare war on gravity. Fight forever, gravity won't even notice.

[Rhiannon12866]

8. In my area (NY) there are county programs called Drug Treatment Court

Those with drug/alcohol related issues, like DWIs, are offered drug court instead of incarceration. It includes a program of rehab, outpatient treatment, counseling, classes and required attendance at a certain number of AA/NA meetings. I'm in AA and I've seen it work wonders.