House of Reps pushing for Legal Pot

Jul 31, 2008 by Dan Taylor    17 Comments    Posted under: News

US House of Representatives Rep. Barney Frank of Massachusetts has recently submitted a bill that could seriously reduce the severity of personal marijuana use.

House Resolution 5843 titled the “Personal Use of Marijuana by Responsible Adults Act of 2008” would set out to stop the federal persecution of responsible marijuana smokers in the US.  Frank’s bill proposes that any American carrying less than 100 grams would not be charged with a crime.

Frank’s reasoning comes from the fact that current US marijuana laws place undue burdens on already over taxed law enforcement resources, punish American doctors that prescribe marijuana for medical use, and unfairly target and affect African Americans.

“The vast amount of human activity ought to be none of the government’s business,” Frank said on Capitol Hill. “I don’t think it is the government’s business to tell you how to spend your leisure time.”

Frank and his supporters did however make the message loud and clear that he is not proposing abuse of marijuana, but only the use would be decriminalized.  Abuse would still be on the books.

According to DEA figures, people that are charged with marijuana possession are rarely incarcerated, but rather normally receive a fine.  The White House Office of National Drug Control and the DEA have long opposed the legalization of marijuana for medical purposes or other.  Currently classified as a Schedule I controlled substance, marijuana technically shares the category with Heroin,  MDMA (Ecstasy), Psilocybin (Magic) mushrooms, and Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD).

“Smoked marijuana has not withstood the rigors of science — it is not medicine and it is not safe,” the DEA states on its Web site. “Legalization of marijuana, no matter how it begins, will come at the expense of our children and public safety. It will create dependency and treatment issues, and open the door to use of other drugs, impaired health, delinquent behavior, and drugged drivers.”

The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) spokeman Allen St. Pierre compared Frank’s proposal to the current laws pertaining to alcohol consumption.  “Alcohol use is permitted, and the government focuses its law enforcement efforts on those who abuse alcohol or drive under its influence,” St. Pierre said, “We do not arrest and jail responsible alcohol drinkers.”

St. Pierre also added, “There have been 20 million marijuana-related arrests since 1965, he said, and 11 million since 1990, and every 38 seconds, a marijuana smoker is arrested.”

Rob Kampia, the director of the Marijuana Policy Project quoted numbers that place all marijuana related arrests outnumber arrests for “all violent crimes combined.”  The numbers don’t lie.  What this means is that law enforcement officials are spending a highly disproportionate amount of time chasing nonviolent criminals.

“Ending arrests is the key to marijuana policy reform,” he said.

The Rep. from Mass is finding support from fellow democrats on this bill.  William Lacy Clay, D-Missouri and Barbara Lee, D-California add that in addition to targeting nonviolent offenders, US marijuana laws unfairly target African Americans.

Clay commented that he does not condone marijuana use, but is also opposed millions of American tax payer dollars being spent on what he feels is an “arcane holdover from a phony war on drugs that is filling up our prisons, especially with people of color.”

Clay continued, “too many drug enforcement resources are being dedicated to incarcerating nonviolent drugs users, and not enough is being done to stop the trafficking of narcotics into the United States.”
Bill Piper of the Drug Policy Alliance Network states, “Being arrested is not the American marijuana smoker’s only concern.  Those found guilty of marijuana use can lose their jobs, financial aid for college, their food stamp and welfare benefits, or their low-cost housing.”

“The US stance on marijuana is one of the most destructive justice policies in America today.”

12 of 50 US States have in one way or another legalized the use of marijuana for medical purposes.  Barbara Lee, D-California says that the current state of affairs is “inhumane” and “immoral”.  Lee says that she has a number of constituents that are regularly harassed or arrested for using or cultivating marijuana for medical purposes.  The catch 22 comes into play when the federal government becomes involved.  In California it is legal to use and cultivate medical marijuana, when it is illegal to use and cultivate medical marijuana in the United States, as the federal government gives no medical value to the substance.

Not to leave the Republicans out in the cold, Frank did use his time at the podium to take a shot at the other side of the isle.  “I find it strange that those who support limited government want to criminalize marijuana.”

When questioned whether the resolution’s passage would change his personal behavior, Frank responded, “I do obey every law I vote for” but quickly said he did not use marijuana, nor does he encourage it.

“I smoke cigars. I don’t think other people should do that. If young people ask me, I would advise them not to do it,” he said.

Watch CNN’s coverage of Barney Frank and HR 5843.