Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Huntington Beach, sponsored legislation
today that would stop authorities from prosecuting federal laws against
marijuana use in states that have decriminalized the drug.
Rohrabacher and five other representatives today introduced the
"Respect State Marijuana Laws Act of 2013." The other sponsors are Reps.
Justin Amash, R-Mich., Earl Blumenauer, D-Oregon, Steve Cohen, D-Tenn.,
Jared Polis, D-Colo., and Don Young, R-Alaska.
"This bipartisan bill represents a common-sense approach that
establishes federal government respect for all states’ marijuana laws,"
Rohrabacher said. "It does so by keeping the federal government out of
the business of criminalizing marijuana activities in states that don’t
want it to be criminal."
In November, voters in Colorado and Washington became the first
states to legalize recreational use of marijuana. In California, voters
have approved the use of medicinal marijuana, but federal prosecutors
have aggressively pursued some organizations they say have illegally
made a profit selling medical marijuana.
A spokesman for Rep. Alan Lowenthal, D-Long Beach, who represents
portions of north Orange County, said he was unaware of the details of
the legislation.
"Unfortunately, because the bill has only been introduced today, and
because he has been in meetings all day, Congressman Lowenthal has not
had an opportunity to review the bill," Lowenthal aide Keith
Higginbotham said. "The congressman prefers not to comment on bills he
has not had an opportunity to review."
Kris Hermes of Americans for Safe Access, a medical marijuana
advocacy group, said Rohrabacher’s legislation might encourage federal
authorities to cease crackdowns on medical marijuana in the state.
"We are strongly supportive of congressional efforts to draw a stark
line for states that choose to establish their own public health laws
with respect to medical marijuana, so that those state can develop,
adopt and implement such laws without interference by the federal
government," Hermes said.
"While it doesn’t represent a much-needed comprehensive federal
policy on medical marijuana, it would force the Justice Department to
end its current aggressive stance on the issue."
Rohrabacher noted that 18 states and the District of Columbia have
laws decriminalizing marijuana to some extent and that a recent Pew
Research poll showed 60 percent of Americans do not want the federal
government to enforce federal laws against marijuana in states where it
is legal.
