Rep. Jason Chaffetz is trying to overturn action by the D.C. City Council that would allow medical marijuana usage in the nation's capital. Congress has the power to block any decisions by the council because its a federal district, and Chaffetz says Congress should act to oppose any efforts to reclassify or decriminalize the use of marijuana. Congress has until late July to make any changes to the D.C. law, which would allow a few dispensaries in the city to dole out small amounts of marijuana with a medical prescription. Said Chaffetz:
"Marijuana is a psychotropic drug classified under Schedule I of the federal Controlled Substances Act as having 'high potential for abuse,' 'no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States,' and a 'lack of accepted safety for use of the drug...under medical supervision.' While certain of these principles may be open to significant debate within segments of the medical community, and among pro-legalization/decriminalization groups, I am opposed to re-classification and decriminalization efforts. And while derivatives of marijuana are available in pill form for medicinal purposes, smoked marijuana is a health danger, not a cure, and therefore remains a harmful and dangerous drug for people of all ages."
The Utah Republican's effort, though, is not being welcomed by some city residents who are already ticked at Chaffetz for his previous moves to oppose legislation that would give the city's 600,000 residents a full-voting member of Congress and for Chaffetz's attempts to bar the city from allowing same-sex marriages.
A DCist contributor notes that Chaffetz's anti-weed bill likely won't go anywhere in a Democrat-controlled Congress. The D.C.-based blogger adds, "And if things go my way, dispensaries will double as chapels for same-sex weddings, if only to see Chaffetz's head explode at the mere thought of it."
NewsHawk: Ganjarden: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: The Salt Lake Tribune
Author: Thomas Burr
Contact: The Salt Lake Tribune
Copyright: 2010 The Salt Lake Tribune
Website: Chaffetz fights D.C. medical marijuana
* Thanks to MedicalNeed for submitting this article
"Marijuana is a psychotropic drug classified under Schedule I of the federal Controlled Substances Act as having 'high potential for abuse,' 'no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States,' and a 'lack of accepted safety for use of the drug...under medical supervision.' While certain of these principles may be open to significant debate within segments of the medical community, and among pro-legalization/decriminalization groups, I am opposed to re-classification and decriminalization efforts. And while derivatives of marijuana are available in pill form for medicinal purposes, smoked marijuana is a health danger, not a cure, and therefore remains a harmful and dangerous drug for people of all ages."
The Utah Republican's effort, though, is not being welcomed by some city residents who are already ticked at Chaffetz for his previous moves to oppose legislation that would give the city's 600,000 residents a full-voting member of Congress and for Chaffetz's attempts to bar the city from allowing same-sex marriages.
A DCist contributor notes that Chaffetz's anti-weed bill likely won't go anywhere in a Democrat-controlled Congress. The D.C.-based blogger adds, "And if things go my way, dispensaries will double as chapels for same-sex weddings, if only to see Chaffetz's head explode at the mere thought of it."
NewsHawk: Ganjarden: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: The Salt Lake Tribune
Author: Thomas Burr
Contact: The Salt Lake Tribune
Copyright: 2010 The Salt Lake Tribune
Website: Chaffetz fights D.C. medical marijuana
* Thanks to MedicalNeed for submitting this article
