Congress Votes Against Medical Marijuana

6-15-05
Friends:

Earlier today the United States House of Representatives voted 161-264
against the Hinchey/Rohrabacher amendment, which would have prevented the
Justice Department from carrying out federal prosecutions of patients in
states with medical marijuana laws. In light of the Supreme Court
decision calling on Congress to change federal medical marijuana law, this
vote is a slap in the face to medical cannabis patients and caregivers
nationwide.

Although NORML is disappointed that federal lawmakers failed to pass this
amendment, we are encouraged by the fact that 161 votes is the most ever
received in Congress on this issue. Last year a similar proposal received
148 votes. Clearly federal elected officials are starting to listen to
the public on medical marijuana. It is only a matter of time before
public policy catches up with public opinion on this issue.

Now that the Hinchey/Rohrabacher amendment has been voted down, our
attention turns squarely to H.R. 2087, The States Rights To Medical
Marijuana Act. If passed, this legislation would reclassify marijuana as
a Schedule 2 substance with recognized medical benefits, forcing the
federal government to stay out of states with medical cannabis laws. If
you have not done so already, please send a pre-written letter in support
of H.R. 2087 today to your member of Congress, by visiting:
http://capwiz.com/norml2/mail/oneclick_compose/?alertid=7531001

 

Congress To Continue Prosecution Of State-Authorized Medi-Pot Patients
161 House Members -- The Most Ever -- Vote To Halt Raids
Washington, DC: State-authorized patients and their caregivers who
use or possess medical cannabis will continue to be subject to federal
arrest and prosecution, after the House of Representatives rejected a
proposed amendment to bar the US Department of Justice (DOJ) from
targeting patients who use marijuana medicinally in accordance with the
laws of their states.
The House voted 264 to 161 against the bi-partisan measure, sponsored
by Reps. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) and Maurice Hinchey (D-NY). The 161
House votes in favor of the patient-protection provision was the highest
total ever recorded in a Congressional floor vote to liberalize marijuana
laws. Of those who voted in support of the Hinchey/Rohrabacher medical
marijuana amendment, 15 were Republicans (a loss of four votes from 2004)
and 128 were Democrats (a gain of 17 votes from last year). The House's
only Independent Congressman, Vermont Representative Bernard Sanders, also
voted in favor of the amendment.
This year's vote came days after the US Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that
the Justice Department has the authority to prosecute state-authorized
medicinal cannabis patients for violating the federal Controlled
Substances Act. Writing for the majority, Justice John Paul Stevens called
on Congress to address the issue of whether the use of medicinal cannabis
should be criminalized.
"With the Supreme Court's ruling, Congress and the Justice Department
have a choice: They can choose to waste taxpayers' dollars and undermine
states' rights by arresting and prosecuting seriously ill patients who
possess and use medical cannabis in compliance with state law, or they can
choose more worthwhile priorities, like protecting national security,"
NORML Executive Director St. Pierre said. "Yesterday, 264 members of
Congress chose to prosecute patients."
Speaking on the House floor in favor of yesterday's amendment,
co-sponsor Maurice Hinchey said, "It is unconscionable that we in Congress
could possibly presume to tell a patient that he or she cannot use the
only medication that has proven to combat the pain and symptoms associated
with a devastating illness. How can we tell very sick people that they
cannot have the drug that could save their lives simply because of a
narrow ideology and bias against that drug in this Congress? ...
Taxpayers' dollars should not be spent on sending seriously or terminally
ill patients to jail."
Also speaking in favor of the provision were Minority Leader Nancy
Pelosi (D-CA) and co-sponsor Dana Rohrabacher, along with Reps. Earl
Blumenauer (D-OR), Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Sam Farr (D-CA), Barney Frank
(D-MA), Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), Zoe Lofgren
(D-CA), and Lynn Woolsey (D-CA).
Congressmen Elton Gallegly (R-CA), Steve King (R-IA), John Peterson
(R-PA), Mark Souder (R-IN) and Frank Wolf (R-VA) spoke in opposition to
the amendment.
Final vote tallies for the Hinchey/Rohrabacher medical marijuana
amendment are available online at:
http://clerk.house.gov/cgi-bin/vote.asp?year=2005&rollnumber=255

 

damn that sucks, I thought anti grass laws would start to be less harsh as time went on.

 

schedule 2? so does that mean it would be like valumes or somthing like it on the legal scale?

 

Oh wow I didnt read that part, that would be cool. I think what your saying is right THC.

 

well im not sure but that would be cool i guess, it wouldnt be consider a " narcotic ". i have some friends that are english, actually from england and they told me over there bud is a schedule 2 drug and its like a step up form cigarette and a cop would just be like " put that out " if you were smoking in public.

 

No, schedule two means it's dangerous, but with some medical value, like morphine or cocaine.

 

So thats better than schedule 1 tho right?

 

yes. but it would still be illegal if not used by a prescribed patient... like BTM said schedual II means its a narcotic with medical uses

 

Am I the only one who caught the fact that the only ones in oppsoition to this amendment are fucking right wingers? I think we all know the story of the paper industry in the 1920s-30s that was threatened by the hemp industry that was cheaper to produce paper with hemp instead of trees. Ridiculous anti-marijuana propaganda started to be published and instilled into the minds of the weak, and soon Congress passed the Anti-marijuana Act of 1937, criminalizing the use of pot. Wait, so the government played a major part in helping the paper business? IS THIS CAPITALISM? NO! Survival of the fittest and private enterprise is the philosophy of capitalism, not government aid. What is happening to the airline industry? BANKRUPTCY! Who is financing their corporations? Taxpayers! Not so different from over 80 years ago... ignorant corporate republic states of america!

 

THAT report opened a "Can Of Shit" here in Vegas too! In the last 14 days, TWO stories broke the news on "Medical Marijuana" issues. First, when that was announced, Our locals interviewed a guy who HAS a perscription. They showed Video of his "Garden".

He was the FIRST one that got BUSTED under the new ruling. The thing is, there are STATE laws that FORBID someone from dispensing a "Controlled Substance" without a Licence. (Dude had 120 plants. That AIN'T for "Personal Use"!!!)

 

100 years from now, there gonna look back and wonder just why people would oppose such a wonderful plant just to line there pockets with more cash. There gonna look back on the reupblicans the same way we look back on slavery.