Federal Bill to be Introduced will Legalize, Remove Marijuana from Schedule I

[Derek Rosenzweig]

Thursday, June 23rd, 2011 will be a day fondly remembered by many. It marks the very first time that US Congressmen have introduced a bill that would make marijuana completely legal under Federal law. US Reps. Barney Frank (D-MA) and Ron Paul (R-TX) are the primary sponsors of HR 2306, the 'Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2011'. This bill would remove all Federal penalties for its possession, sale, and cultivation. Ask your US Representative to support and co-sponsor the 'Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2011'

NORML, along with representatives from the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA), Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP), and the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), worked closely with members of Congress in drafting the measure.

In 1937, Congress passed the Marihuana Tax Act, criminalizing its possession and sale unless you owned a proper tax stamp. The problem is, the Federal government only made very few of them. In 1969, the Marihuana Tax Act was ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. In 1970, they passed the Controlled Substances Act, splitting up various drugs and substances into 5 "schedules", where Schedule I means a compound or drug has "no medical value" and "high potential for abuse"; and Schedule V means a compound has "low potential for abuse", "accepted medical use in treatment in the US", and accepts a certain level of physical and psychological dependence. Marijuana is currently listed in Schedule I of the CSA. The 'Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2011' will remove marijuana from the CSA's Scheduling system completely, thus leaving it up to each individual state whether - and how - to legalize and regulate. The federal government would no longer be able to lawfully raid dispensaries or compassion centers, or arrest anyone for simply possessing, selling, or growing it.

Marijuana was originally placed in Schedule I as a temporary measure. During that time, the Nixon administration put together a commission chaired by Republican governor of Pennsylvania Raymond P Shafer. The commission, called the National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse, returned in 1972 with recommendations to "decriminalize possession of small amounts" of marijuana, as well as a recommendation to officially recognize its medical value. President Nixon violently opposed these recommendations, threw the report in the trash, and started his "War on Drugs".

Since that time, 16 states have legalized marijuana for medical use. Some, like Rhode Island and Colorado have had great success, others have had but a few small problems, and yet others can't even get out of the starting gate. Beginning in the Bush administration and continuing with the Obama administration, the DEA has raided hundreds of state-law abiding dispensaries, cooperative gardens, and compassion centers in these states. Another 15 states have laws decriminalizing possession of small amounts of cannabis. Last Friday marked the 40th anniversary of Nixon's "War on Drugs," a public policy decision that has had devastating effects on our communities and on nations around the globe where our country has exported our war onto foreign soil. The War on Drugs quickly turned into a war on people, primarily African Americans. Recently, the Global Commission on Drug Policy released a report unequivocally stating "The global war on drugs has failed," and calling for the experimentation of legalization/regulation policies in its place.

Watch a video of Ron Paul explaining why this bill needs to pass.

Ron Paul: End Marijuana Prohibition Now!

This bill's introduction and passage can help state initiatives such as HB1653 and SB1003, Pennsylvania's Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act (named after Governor Shafer), introduced by Representative Mark Cohen and Senator Daylin Leach. One reason many legislators use when opposing reform bills is because of Federal law, and fear of putting citizens and/or employees of their state at risk. It is therefore necessary that this bill pass into law for states to be able to successfully implement legalization/regulation policies. This is the perfect time to ask your US Representative to support and co-sponsor HR 2306, the 'Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2011'. It will only have a lasting impact if it's taken seriously by enough members of Congress that it actually goes through the system. With the 2012 elections looming, you can bet there will be plenty of polling of public opinion on marijuana policy leading up to debates, and the issue is sure to remain at the forefront during this time.

[winetaster24]

Sadly, this bill will get 2 maybe 3 votes.  If by some miracle, it passes the house, the senate will shoot it down.  If by an amazing miracle, the senate passes this, President Barack Obama will veto it and that veto will be sustained. 

[Derek Rosenzweig]

FYI - The bill number is "HR 2306". Will post a link to the actual text when it's posted on thomas.gov.

[sillybear2010]

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[jim bo]

I HOPE THE SMOKE IS THICK AND THE EYES ARE GLOSSY hello everyone, jim bo here, just thought id tell you a story my wife just share with me. she is a nurse here in PA, she is currently working at an elderly home. this is no bullshit. about twice a week she comes home and tells me about how these foks are always begging her to bring them some weed. well she knows she can not help them so she has learned to just make a joke and go on with her duties. but last night she was approched by a younger (middle aged) man that asked her, hey lets say, i was to bring in some weed for my dieing mother, is there somewhere we can go smoke or do i gotta sign her out and go for a car ride? ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME!! its so sad that we have foks in homes in their 80's and 90's that want to smoke so bad they have their kids ask the nurse this question. well i dont think nurse's should have to deal with these questions (LEGALIZE IT) she has tons of other things to worry about at work. let me just say if my mother is dieing in a elderly home all alone and just wonts to smoke. ill be sure to help her out and get her some weed. NOW lets say that was your mom. would you help her out and find her some weed for the pain. then smoke, chill, have a few last conversations or would you just slap another morphine patch on her arm or in her IV and watch her faid away like so many elderly foks are being forced to do right now... true story... come on PA get your shit together

[Vergie Kidd]

Sadly, this bill will get 2 maybe 3 votes.  If by some miracle, it passes the house, the senate will shoot it down.  If by an amazing miracle, the senate passes this, President Barack Obama will veto it and that veto will be sustained. 

Why is there such a situation! 

[Cannasuticals]

Hey Vergie Kid,
[Why is there such a situation!]

This is just my opinion: Because we the people allow it.
It's funny, well not haha kind of funny, however, when we allow any system to be set up, where there is no accountantability when elected officials make decisions.
Jack Kemp, said it best to CatherinAustin Fitts, back in the 90's, " who cares whats legal or not, by the time the public finds out, we're out of politics, and untouchable". With few exceptions he's right.
Dillon Read & Co. Inc.
And the Aristocracy of Prison Profits
by Catherine Austin Fitts
I found her work to be excellent, and she put it out for free to read.

We the people, only need 5% of the population to focus and act on, whatever cause, and things can change....one way or the other.

We're catatonic, batteries basicly, for a system, well organized, backed up with pseudo science, from pseudo colleges, taught by psuedo professors.
Not whole sale are all colleges bad, but just enough to creat this mirage of pseudo science information, to do as they please.
Think about only needing 5%, for crital mass to move, are stoners THAT UNINVOLVED, are we, so freaking addicted to the LazyBoy that we accept almost any nonsense as law,rules or regulation?
There is no science to back their argument, in any facet, but we the people allow them to do that.

[Geodesiq]

What a FUCKING DISGRACE Obama is! With the new federal assault on dispensaries he's worse than Bush! Hopefully this will get more people motivated to work for repeal of prohibition. It's motivated me to get involved with the Philly chapter.

[Derek Rosenzweig]

Yea it's quite disappointing how he's behaved on this issue. I never thought he would end up being worse than Bush but he has (on this issue at least).

[mr.mike60]

Cannasuticals, I am 150% behind every word you wrote in your 8/23/11 post. I have been preaching this for years. I have a great idea for a new "Bobble Head Doll'. I want to call it "The Voice of America". It will appear as someone ( M & F ) kinda overweight. with either a coffee or a beer in one hand and a cigerette or dube in the other with a finger pointing and a wide open mouth. And their feet encased in concrete.. Why do I want to make this doll? Because "We the People" have lost our BALLS and now all we do is bitch about issues, as important as they are, to each other.
As a Vietnam Vet w/Purple heart and in chronic pain for the past 23 years I am sure by now that my Senator and Congressman more than know me by name. 16 out of 50 does not make a "United States". But WTF, as Cannasuticals so straightforwardly put it it takes more than a few and not a whole lot. If were takling Pennsylvania, forget it, these people in charge straight out don't give a shit about any of you. what They need is their office flooded by letters. E-mails are nice but too easy to get rid of---click-delete----a letter has to be handeled, touched, confronted and it ain't that costly!!
As I see it we have two choices: sort of a "Mideast spring cleaning" or Flood the Bastards with mail--Remember, this is a Democracy! It is still majority rule Why do we let the minority always control the hell out of us? They work for us and we pay them it's about time WE started to control them!!!

[J.T.H.C.]

We need to go to the Petition the Government website and start a petition for them to address the petition the government petitions in a timely manner.  Yeah, it took a minute to think that through.

[Bob_in_PA]

We need to go to the Petition the Government website and start a petition for them to address the petition the government petitions in a timely manner.  Yeah, it took a minute to think that through.

Not a bad idea, but... you're forgetting its because they don't care what anyone says unless they have lobbyists out the wazoo, and you "donate" untold sums of money to their political campaign.