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RainDog

(28,784 posts)
Wed Jun 4, 2014, 02:27 AM Jun 2014

Horsford introduces bill to decriminalize marijuana

Source: Nevada Appeal

Rep. Steven Horsford, D-Nev., has introduced legislation that would decriminalize marijuana at the federal level.

“States that have voted to legalize marijuana for medical and/or recreational use should not fear federal agents raiding their businesses and intimidating their citizens,” Horsford said.

He said the bill doesn’t force states to legalize pot but would simply direct the Attorney General to remove marijuana from the list of controlled substances and put it under the federal Alcohol Administration Act.

That would allow the treasury secretary to regulate the import, shipping and sales of pot in interstate or foreign commerce.


Read more: http://www.nevadaappeal.com/news/local/11679150-113/marijuana-states-bill-federal



Please contact Democrat, Steven Horsford, to support him in this bill.

Also contact your state representative to indicate your support for Horsford's bill.

Things are happening!

Link to representative's names and contact info: http://www.house.gov/representatives/

Link to Horsford: http://horsford.house.gov/
27 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Horsford introduces bill to decriminalize marijuana (Original Post) RainDog Jun 2014 OP
more info: H.R. 499 RainDog Jun 2014 #1
thanks for all that extra info fizzgig Jun 2014 #18
Thanks for the kind words RainDog Jun 2014 #24
Prohibition is a failed public policy. nt TeamPooka Jun 2014 #2
I hope reintroducing this bill RainDog Jun 2014 #3
Congressional hypocrisy is not new but here's hoping. Rational thought regarding cannabis TeamPooka Jun 2014 #4
The only cure for reefer madness RainDog Jun 2014 #5
and more reefer. TeamPooka Jun 2014 #6
you must've met that funny reefer man RainDog Jun 2014 #7
Cab Calloway struggle4progress Jun 2014 #9
Released when the stuff was still legal... Kinda hard to believe now... nomorenomore08 Jun 2014 #10
No, it provides lots of jobs arresting and incarcerating the poor. Throd Jun 2014 #13
WARNING: Smoking pot might possibly make you want to forgive Edward Snowden nikto Jun 2014 #8
me? I haven't commented here at all about him for ages RainDog Jun 2014 #11
Wait, what did he do that requires forgiveness? joshcryer Jun 2014 #12
k & r! n/t wildbilln864 Jun 2014 #14
Even Jerry Brown has not supported this... SoapBox Jun 2014 #15
Jerry Brown and Dianne Feinstein are not emblematic of anything RainDog Jun 2014 #25
Kicked and recommended. Uncle Joe Jun 2014 #16
They should also fire the fanatic heading the DEA. nt IronLionZion Jun 2014 #17
I knew that in the end it would be about the money. Prisoner_Number_Six Jun 2014 #19
Things are starting to happen at the Federal level. amazing. Sunlei Jun 2014 #20
Now if only passiveporcupine Jun 2014 #21
just fyi passiveporcupine Jun 2014 #22
Yes. We imprison more people per capita than China RainDog Jun 2014 #23
That's my representative!!! LVdem Jun 2014 #26
The west is leading the way RainDog Jun 2014 #27

RainDog

(28,784 posts)
1. more info: H.R. 499
Wed Jun 4, 2014, 02:45 AM
Jun 2014

The Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act (H.R. 499) directs the Attorney General to remove marijuana from all schedules of controlled substances under the Controlled Substances Act, and instead puts it under the Federal Alcohol Administration Act. Under the Federal Alcohol Administration Act, the Secretary of the Treasury will regulate importing, shipping or selling in interstate or foreign commerce, purchasing for resale, producing, packaging, or warehousing marijuana. The bill also protects states’ rights by allowing them to regulate marijuana as they wish, at the local level.

http://www.ktvn.com/story/25683994/rep-horsford-co-sponsors-bill-to-decriminalize-marijuana-at-federal-level

This was initially introduced in 2013 by Jared Polis: http://beta.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/house-bill/499

H.R. 499 would decriminalize marijuana at the federal level, leaving it up to the states to decide whether to allow marijuana for medicinal or recreational use.

Specifically, the bill would:

Remove marijuana from the list of federally controlled substances;
Transfer the Drug Enforcement Administration’s authority to regulate marijuana to a newly renamed Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Marijuana and Firearms, which will be tasked with regulating marijuana as it currently does alcohol; and
Require marijuana producers and sellers to purchase a permit, as commercial alcohol producers do, of which the proceeds would offset the cost of federal oversight.
States could choose to continue to prohibit marijuana production or use, and it would remain illegal to transport marijuana to a state where it is prohibited.

H.R. 499 is based on a measure proposed in the last Congress by then-Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA). Rep. Frank’s bill marked the first attempt to entirely eliminate the federal criminalization of marijuana.

Previous decriminalization proposals were limited to possession of marijuana for personal use, possession of small amounts, or use for medicinal purposes. In the 1970s, Rep. Ed Koch (D-NY) introduced a spate of marijuana-related bills, following a 1972 report from the National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse (NCMDA) that recommended ending the federal marijuana prohibition. In 1973 he filed a bill that would make it legal to possess marijuana for personal use or distribute it for non-profit purposes. Corresponding legislation was filed in the Senate by Sen. Jacob Javits (D-NY). In the subsequent Congress, Rep. Koch proposed a bill to treat possession of marijuana in small amounts for personal use or transfer without profit as a civil offense rather than a crime.

Legislative decriminalization efforts came to a halt in the 1980s, but resumed in 1997, when Rep. Frank introduced a bill to allow medical use of marijuana. He subsequently proposed a bill to eliminate federal crime penalties for possession or non-profit transfer of small amounts of marijuana.

None of the proposals to end or amend the federal marijuana prohibition have ever made it to a vote on the House or Senate floor. Here at GovTrack we give the current bill a two percent chance of getting out of committee and a one percent chance of being enacted (see here for an explanation of our methodology in computing these probabilities).

Below is a list of bills that have been introduced to either end or amend the federal criminalization of marijuana:

HOUSE

1973 (93rd Congress): A bill to amend certain provisions of the Controlled Substances Act relating to marijuana (reintroduced in the same Congress as H.R. 6570, H.R. 11210, H.R. 17550)

1975 (94th Congress): A bill to amend certain provisions of the Controlled Substances Act relating to marijuana (reintroduced in the same Congress as H.R. 4520)

1975 (94th Congress): Marihuana Control Act (reintroduced in the same Congress as H.R. 6876, H.R. 8984, H.R. 10801, H.R. 12425, H.R. 12886)

1977 (95th Congress): Marihuana Control Act (reintroduced in the same Congress as H.R. 4736, H.R. 4737)

1981 (97th Congress): A bill to provide for the therapeutic use of marijuana in situations involving life-threatening illnesses and to provide adequate supplies of marijuana for such use

1997 (105th Congress): Medical Use of Marijuana Act

1999 (106th Congress): Medical Use of Marijuana Act

2001 (107th Congress): States’ Rights to Medical Marijuana Act (reintroduced in the same Congress as H.R. 2592)

2003 (108th Congress): States’ Rights to Medical Marijuana Act

2005 (109th Congress): States’ Rights to Medical Marijuana Act

2008 (110th Congress): Act to Remove Federal Penalties for the Personal Use of Marijuana by Responsible Adults

2009 (111th Congress): Personal Use of Marijuana by Responsible Adults Act of 2009

2008 (110th Congress): Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act

2009 (111th Congress): Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act

2011 (112th Congress): States’ Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act

2013 (113th Congress): States’ Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act


SENATE

1973 (93rd Congress): A bill to amend certain provisions of the Controlled Substances Act relating to marijuana

fizzgig

(24,146 posts)
18. thanks for all that extra info
Wed Jun 4, 2014, 01:36 PM
Jun 2014

polis is my rep, so i know it's got his support and i'm pretty sure my senators would support it, as well. it's far past time that we do this.

RainDog

(28,784 posts)
24. Thanks for the kind words
Wed Jun 4, 2014, 05:49 PM
Jun 2014

Here's another related issue.

The Senate needs to vote on an bill with an amendment to defund the DEA's raids on state-legal medical marijuana facilities. People can call their Senators to let them know we do not want to arrest people for using cannabis as medicine.

more info-

Here's a link to an online letter from MPP

The link above is to the Marijuana Policy Project Page with a letter to sign and send to your Senator in support of defunding the DEA's raids on legal medical marijuana facilities.

More than half of the states in the U.S. now have medical marijuana provisions. It's time for the federal government to respond to the will of the voter regarding marijuana's legal status.

This letter is one way to get them to respond.

Or you can find your Senator's contact information here: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

Thanks!

RainDog

(28,784 posts)
3. I hope reintroducing this bill
Wed Jun 4, 2014, 02:52 AM
Jun 2014

at this time will create some good news.

It wouldn't seem quite right for Congress to allow D.C. to have decriminalized marijuana while states are still subject to federal law.

So, maybe this is good timing.

Let's hope!

TeamPooka

(24,156 posts)
4. Congressional hypocrisy is not new but here's hoping. Rational thought regarding cannabis
Wed Jun 4, 2014, 02:54 AM
Jun 2014

seems to be spreading like a virus.

RainDog

(28,784 posts)
11. me? I haven't commented here at all about him for ages
Wed Jun 4, 2014, 05:58 AM
Jun 2014

the last thing I said related to him was how annoyed I was when people were saying rude things about his g.f. to attack him. I said - off limits. Or should be. ---that's not part of my world here at DU - too much static to noise.

it's my understanding, tho, there's a current kerfluffle - but I don't know the particulars and, after recent experiences - I don't know that I want to know them. lol. I just don't want to get caught in the crossfire or have to dodge stray bullets.

but here's some Junior Brown for all that

SoapBox

(18,791 posts)
15. Even Jerry Brown has not supported this...
Wed Jun 4, 2014, 10:57 AM
Jun 2014

Great...a nation of stoners...like there aren't enough of them already.

RainDog

(28,784 posts)
25. Jerry Brown and Dianne Feinstein are not emblematic of anything
Wed Jun 4, 2014, 05:58 PM
Jun 2014

Other than their insider political status. Honestly.

The joke is that they know the sky has not fallen in California, despite nearly 20 years of legal medical marijuana, three years of decriminalized marijuana. Some Californians don't want legal marijuana because they don't want to negatively impact their profits. I cannot justify putting people in jail over something that's less dangerous as a substance than alcohol. Makes absolutely no sense to me to target one substance and leave the other alone, when the other has far more health concerns.

States can set their own laws regarding cannabis.

We just won't pay the federal government to enforce laws the majority of the population does not want.

Those states that want to maintain the prohibition status quo will find it harder to attract people in various fields that are significant for the economy - like tech.

Entire families have moved to Colorado to be able to simply and safely access medical cannabis. People will not choose to live in states that maintain this war on the American people if they can afford to move.

States that tax and regulate will generate revenue to put toward education and health.

Yeah, that would be scary...

Prisoner_Number_Six

(15,676 posts)
19. I knew that in the end it would be about the money.
Wed Jun 4, 2014, 02:24 PM
Jun 2014

Whisper the words "tax stamp" into a politician's ear and everything changes!

passiveporcupine

(8,175 posts)
21. Now if only
Wed Jun 4, 2014, 03:59 PM
Jun 2014

this passes and we could retroactively release all pot related prison sentences. It never should have been illegal to even sell pot...and certainly not to use it.

RainDog

(28,784 posts)
23. Yes. We imprison more people per capita than China
Wed Jun 4, 2014, 05:44 PM
Jun 2014
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/23/us/23prison.html?pagewanted=all

2.3 million in jail... manufacturers sent jobs overseas and the for-profit prison industry has created a new economy that replicates older forms of persecution for minorities.

Politicians agree to minimum occupancy rates to lure prisons to build in their states, then pass laws to meet that minimum. The only nation even close to the U.S. is Russia. No wonder the right wing in this nation likes Russia so much these days. Gulags and prisons aren't just for cold warriors.

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