Farr Comes To The Defense Of Medical Marijuana

[Jacob Bell]

Three Congressmen want the U.S. Department of Justice to keep its hands off medical marijuana.

Reps. Sam Farr, D-Carmel, Dana Rohrabacher, R-Costa Mesa, and Maurice Hinchey, D-New York, Tuesday introduced a bill that would cut off funding for federal enforcement of drug laws against medical marijuana suppliers by amending HR 5326, which funds the Justice Department.

"Patients suffering from painful and serious illnesses are following the recommendations of their doctors by using medical cannabis to minimize their pain and support their recovery," Farr said.

"It is time for the federal government to stop targeting the legal vendors that are providing safe access to this treatment and instead focus limited resources on those who sell illicit drugs."

Farr said the amendment will work to assure funds under Justice do not target safe access to medical marijuana.

The bill comes in response to an interagency crackdown on medical marijuana involving more than 100 raids, primarily on California marijuana dispensaries, many of them operating in compliance with state laws.

Since October 2009, Justice has conducted more than 170 raids in states where medical marijuana is legal, resulting in 61 federal indictments, according to data compiled by the marijuana advocacy group Americans for Safe Access.

The full text of the amendment states: "None of the funds made available in this Act to the Department of Justice may be used, with respect to the States of Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington, to prevent such States from implementing their own State laws that authorize the use, distribution, possession, or cultivation of medical marijuana."

Source: Monterey County Herald (CA)
Copyright: 2012 Monterey County Herald
Contact: mheditor@montereyherald.com
Website: Home - MontereyHerald.com :
Details: MapInc
Author: Kevin Howe
Kevin Howe can be reached at 646-4416 or khowe@montereyherald.com

 

[blucross]

Thanks 'O representatives of the people for doing your job to Us the 99% ers

 

[maddhatter]

Farr is wrong when he says:

"It is time for the federal government to stop targeting the legal vendors that are providing safe access to this treatment and instead focus limited resources on those who sell illicit drugs."

What it's time for is to get the ******* government out of our lives in this issue, and for them to end the war on drugs, and quit trying to enforce their policy of telling us what we can and cannot put into our bodies. If I want to smoke pot because I enjoy it and for no other reason then get the hell off my back and let me smoke in peace.

Not only that, but the bill does not seem to allow states that are not listed to be exempt if and when they change their laws.

But it is a good start I think.

“Was the government to prescribe to us our medicine and diet, our bodies would be in such keeping as our souls are now.” - Thomas Jefferson

 

[oldred28]

About time they start standing up for what is right!
Reps. Sam Farr, D-Carmel, Dana Rohrabacher, R-Costa Mesa, and Maurice Hinchey, D-New York. three names I am sure to remember.

 

[RCFlyer]

Small steps when dealing with the government. Stop the pursuit of MMJ use then legalize it for all. Its just the way to do things in the USA.

 

[Bonehead]

Yes, baby steps.