Congress voted to cut Fed Funds for raids against cannabis patients!

This probably should be in another forum but it has far reaching implications world-wide Brothers!
Here's why I get involved and I suggest you do as well. This is a great victory for cannabis patients in all states who are being stalked and prosecuted for nothing more than using a safe herb which the citizens of their state approved; that to improve their quality of life. It's time the Feds quit breaking into the homes of peaceful people who usually would let them in if they'd only knock, and use our tax dollars to find the much harder to locate crack an narcotics dealers. DD
from Marijuana Policy Project
http://www.mpp.org/media/press-relea...nd-war-on.html

Congress Votes to End War on Medical Marijuana Patients and Providers

49 Republicans and 170 Democrats approve historic amendment intended to prevent the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration from raiding state-legal medical marijuana dispensaries

* Statement below from Dan Riffle of MPP, which has been lobbying in support of the measure since 2003 *

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congress approved a measure Thursday (219-189) that will prevent the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) from interfering with state medical marijuana laws. The legislation marks the first time in history that Congress has voted in favor of ending the federal government’s war on medical marijuana patients and providers. A record-high 49 Republicans voted in favor of the measure.

The amendment to H.R. 4660, the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, offered by Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), prohibits the Department of Justice, including the DEA, from spending funds to prevent states from implementing their own medical marijuana laws. The amendment has been offered seven times since 2003. It received a then-record high 165 votes in 2007, which included 15 Republicans.

Statement from Dan Riffle, director of federal policies for the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), which has been lobbying in support of the measure since it was first introduced in 2003:

“Congress is officially pulling out of the war on medical marijuana patients and providers. Federal tax dollars will no longer be wasted arresting seriously ill medical marijuana patients and those who provide to them. This is a historic vote, and it’s yet another sign that our federal government is shifting toward a more sensible marijuana policy.

“This measure passed because it received more support from Republicans than ever before. It is refreshing to see conservatives in Congress sticking to their conservative principles when it comes to marijuana policy. Republicans increasingly recognize that marijuana prohibition is a failed Big Government program that infringes on states’ rights.

“It’s becoming clearer and clearer that marijuana prohibition’s days are numbered. Polls are consistently finding that a strong majority of Americans think marijuana should be legal, and an overwhelming majority support legal access to medical marijuana. It’s nice to see more members of Congress standing up for their constituents instead of standing in the way of reform.”

 

Senate Does Not Include House's Medical Marijuana Enforcement Prohibition - MainS
http://shar.es/PAgvC via @sharethis
amendments to defund medical marijuana raids and remove fed industrial hemp restrictions.

US House votes 237 to 170 in favor of prohibiting DOJ from using funds to prevent cultivation of industrial hemp in states were it's legal!!

US House votes 219 to 189 to prohibit DOJ funds from raiding or interfering with state medical marijuana programs. #VICTORY
The bill with the medical marijuana protection amendment now has to make its way through the senate.

PRO-POT GROUP SLAMS US REP.
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v14/n497/a11.html
A pro-medical marijuana group is going after U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Weston, chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee.

Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida gave the amendment a thumbs-down, as did three committee ranking members: Ways and Means Ranking Member Sander M. Levin of Michigan, Agriculture Ranking Member Collin C. Peterson of Minnesota and Transportation and Infrastructure Ranking Member Nick J. Rahall II of West Virginia. Rep. Rubén Hinojosa, D-Texas, who serves as chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, also voted “no.” from the RollCall blog:

A number of members from the fiscally conservative Blue Dog coalition were also among those who voted “no.” They included Reps. John Barrow of Georgia, Jim Cooper of Tennessee, Henry Cuellar of Texas, Pete Gallego of Texas, Daniel Lipinski of Illinois, Jim Matheson of Utah and Mike McIntyre of North Carolina.

Rahall and Peterson are also Blue Dogs.

In addition to the medical marijuana vote, an amendment prohibiting the DEA from interfering with state hemp production laws passed with 237 “yes” votes. An amendment prohibiting the DEA from interfering with state hemp research programs passed with 246 “yes” votes.

Fourteen votes in opposition came from committee chairmen. They were:

Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp of Michigan
Judiciary Chairman Robert W. Goodlatte of Virginia
Financial Services Chairman Jeb Hensarling of Texas
Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Darrell Issa of California
Education and the Workforce Chairman John Kline of Minnesota
Budget Chairman Paul D. Ryan Wisconsin
Ethics Chairman K. Michael Conaway of Texas
Veterans Affairs Chairman Jeff Miller of Florida
Agriculture Chairman Frank D. Lucas of Oklahoma
Appropriations Chairman Harold Rogers of Kentucky
Rules Chairman Pete Sessions of Texas
Foreign Affairs Chairman Ed Royce of California
Homeland Security Chairman Michael McCaul of Texas
Armed Services Chairman Howard “Buck” McKeon of California

 

DdC great to see someone here, thanks bunches for the additional info. DD

 

Senate Could Follow House In Blocking DEA
Posted by CN Staff on June 19, 2014 at 18:01:40 PT
By Matt Ferner, The Huffington Post
Source: Huffington Post

Washington, D.C. -- The Senate could soon follow the House in banning the Drug Enforcement Administration from using its budget to crack down on states that have legalized marijuana for medical purposes.Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) on Wednesday introduced a Senate amendment to the Justice Department budget bill that would restrict DEA agents and federal prosecutors from using allotted funds to pursue providers of and patients using medical marijuana in the 22 states and the District of Columbia that have legalized its use.

Read More..

30 Members Of Congress Demand Access To Research
Posted by CN Staff on June 18, 2014 at 16:01:43 PT
By Matt Ferner, The Huffington Post
Source: Huffington Post

Washington, D.C. -- Thirty members of Congress, led by Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.), H. Morgan Griffith (R-Va.), Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.) and Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), sent a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell on Tuesday demanding an end to the federal monopoly on marijuana research so that more studies can be done by scientists around the nation."We write to express our support for increasing scientific research on the therapeutic risks and benefits of marijuana," the letter reads. "We ask that you take measures to ensure that any non-National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded researcher who has acquired necessary Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Institutional Review Board (IRB), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and appropriate state and local authority approval be able to access marijuana for research at-cost without further review."

Read More...


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