Community | April 04, 2009 | 43 comments

Bill to Legalize Cannabis in the US Has Been Introduced!

source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yN7Oe80spo4&feature=player_embedded

simplecj
A bill to legalize marijuana has been introduced in the U.S. Aaron Houston, the only full time marijuana lobbyist on Capitol Hill, says taxing the drug will bring millions into the U.S. budget.

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Hell ya!! We've got to rally around this bill!! This is it, the time we've been waiting for!

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EDIT: Since I cannot find anything about a legalization bill on the federal level, they must be talking about the bill that has been introduced in California as it is so far the only recent bill to openly call for legalization and regulation similar to what we have for alcohol and tobacco now.
Link: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7814

This is not an April fool's joke like someone has claimed. There has in-fact been a bill to legalize cannabis, and it has been introduced in the US, just not on the federal level (I don't think the video intended to mislead anyone). There are several bills that have been introduced on the federal and state level that seek to both allow industrial hemp production (Federal: HR 1866) and in many states there are both medicinal marijuana bills and decriminalization bills being considered.

The following bills were on the table in the House for the 110th session, with similar bills expected when the new session begins (The next meeting of the Senate is Apr 20, 2009; the House next meets Apr 21, 2009.). How appropriate that they would start on 4/20!! LOL!:

KEY BILLS FROM 2008:

H.R. 5842: Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act
The bill would have ended marijuana's classification as a Schedule I drug and allowed doctors to prescribe it for medical use. Additionally, this bill would have protected medical marijuana patients who use marijuana legally under state law from arrest and jail. H.R. 5842 was introduced on April 17, 2008 by Congressman Barney Frank (D-Mass.) and co-sponsored by Congressman Ron Paul (R-Texas) along with 22 other representatives. On April 17, 2008, it was referred to the House Subcommittee on Health.

H.R. 5843: Personal Use of Marijuana by Responsible Adults Act of 2008
The Personal Use of Marijuana by Responsible Adults Act of 2008 marked the first time in decades that Congress has considered removing criminal penalties for marijuana. Introduced by Congressman Barney Frank (D-Mass.), this bill sought to decriminalize the possession of up to 100 grams of marijuana and the not-for-profit transfer of one ounce of marijuana. On April 28, 2008, H.R. 5843 was referred to the House Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.

Hinchey-Rohrabacher medical marijuana amendment
The Hinchey-Rohrabacher amendment would have prevented the Department of Justice from interfering with state medical marijuana laws. Congress failed to pass this legislation in 2007, but it did receive a record number of votes (165; we need a total of 218).

Visit MPP's action center and take action on new issues in the 111th Congress.
Link: http://www.mpp.org/legislation/
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43 comments // Bill to Legalize Cannabis in the US Has Been Introduced! // Video

  • osiris326
    • 0
      osiris326  

    • If people really want this passed just give the lobbyists a bunch of money. It doesn't matter how good or bad the idea is for America, the only thing that matters is how much money is behind it. Is there enough to line the pockets of Washington, and then is there enough to put on a nice PR campaign to sell to America.

    • 2 years ago
  • SHAWN_RITTIMAN
  • jeich55
    • 0
      jeich55  

    • Its about time that this valuable resource should be legal for recreational and medical also. Its an herb and not a drug. idiot DEA dont want to lose their jobs. jailing citizens and ruining lives. you got to be a real maggot to be in drug task forces.

    • 2 years ago
  • SHAWN_RITTIMAN
  • simplecj
    • 0
      simplecj  
    • Image

    • EDIT: Since I cannot find anything about a legalization bill on the federal level, they must be talking about the bill that has been introduced in California as it is so far the only recent bill to openly call for legalization and regulation similar to what we have for alcohol and tobacco now.
      Link: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7814

      This is not an April fool's joke like someone has claimed. There has in-fact been a bill to legalize cannabis, and it has been introduced in the US, just not on the federal level (I don't think the video intended to mislead anyone). There are several bills that have been introduced on the federal and state level that seek to both allow industrial hemp production (Federal: HR 1866) and in many states there are both medicinal marijuana bills and decriminalization bills being considered.

      The following bills were on the table in the House for the 110th session, with similar bills expected when the new session begins (The next meeting of the Senate is Apr 20, 2009; the House next meets Apr 21, 2009.). How appropriate that they would start on 4/20!! LOL!:

      KEY BILLS FROM 2008:

      H.R. 5842: Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act
      The bill would have ended marijuana's classification as a Schedule I drug and allowed doctors to prescribe it for medical use. Additionally, this bill would have protected medical marijuana patients who use marijuana legally under state law from arrest and jail. H.R. 5842 was introduced on April 17, 2008 by Congressman Barney Frank (D-Mass.) and co-sponsored by Congressman Ron Paul (R-Texas) along with 22 other representatives. On April 17, 2008, it was referred to the House Subcommittee on Health.

      H.R. 5843: Personal Use of Marijuana by Responsible Adults Act of 2008
      The Personal Use of Marijuana by Responsible Adults Act of 2008 marked the first time in decades that Congress has considered removing criminal penalties for marijuana. Introduced by Congressman Barney Frank (D-Mass.), this bill sought to decriminalize the possession of up to 100 grams of marijuana and the not-for-profit transfer of one ounce of marijuana. On April 28, 2008, H.R. 5843 was referred to the House Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.

      Hinchey-Rohrabacher medical marijuana amendment
      The Hinchey-Rohrabacher amendment would have prevented the Department of Justice from interfering with state medical marijuana laws. Congress failed to pass this legislation in 2007, but it did receive a record number of votes (165; we need a total of 218).

      Visit MPP's action center and take action on new issues in the 111th Congress.
      Link: http://www.mpp.org/legislation/

    • 2 years ago
  • Anyother
  • ejasun
    • 0
      ejasun  
    • Image

    • ............... we need cops to fight Crime & terrorist not families & Friends ...........
      YOU CAN TAKE ACTION TO END TODAY'S FAILED PROHIBITION NOW:
      COPS SAY LEGALIZE DRUGS!
      ASK US WHY

      http://www.leap.cc/cms/index.php

      "Damage Done introduces a group of maverick cops - and former cops - who have put in decades fighting the war on drugs. They may be libertarians, Republicans, socialists or evangelical Christians, but they all believe strongly that drug prohibition is a terrible mistake and that all illicit drugs should be controlled by government, not in the hands of criminals.

    • 2 years ago
  • Aferbs
    • 0
      Aferbs  

    • Holy shit, this needs to happen so many industries would be created and the jobless percentage would take a serious plunge

    • 2 years ago
  • bombastinator
    • 0
      bombastinator  

    • Lobbyists can't introduce bills dumbasses.

      It's RT Moscow's Apr 1st post, held over a few days. Do you no longer have the native intelligence to read the name of the news organization of the banner and type the word "RT" into google? No? Oh, of course...

      The collective lack of will to disbelieve here is hilarious though.
      All those poor little addicts filling spliffs with shaking hands look up at the sky, eyes filled with red rimmed squishy hope and as one say "Duuuuuuude..."

    • 2 years ago
  • simplecj
    • 0
      simplecj  
    • bombastinator:

      I know perfectly well what Russia Today is, and I have no reason to believe this is an April Fools Day joke. Aaron Huston is a respectable guy and I don't think he would ever twist his cause like that for the sake of a joke. Besides that, he himself is not the one who introduced the bill.

      I think they are actually talking about the California bill to legalize. Stop being such an antagonistic asshole. This is news, YOU are the joke!

    • 2 years ago
  • bombastinator
    • 0
      bombastinator  
    • bombastinator:

      If you knew who they were then why did you earlier claim not to be able to find anything?

      The video is no longer available on the RT site, which is standard practice for Apr 1st pieces. I suppose the wayback machine could be checked to see when it was put up or taken down. I'll bet apr 1st

    • 2 years ago
  • simplecj
    • 0
      simplecj  
    • bombastinator:

      I said I couldn't find any information about a NATIONAL Legalization bill, only the one that's been introduced in California.

      Sheesh!! Quit trying to pick my post apart. You didn't even know who Aaron Houston was ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaron_Houston ).

      I want to know something. Do you endorse alcohol prohibition? Do you really think that cannabis is worse than alcohol? Should we be locking up and wasting tens of thousands of dollars on every person caught with alcohol? Really, I want to understand why it is you think cannabis can be related to harder drugs like meth and heroin. Have you ever tried them yourself?

      Have you done or used any of the following: caffeine (coffee), tobacco, alcohol, cannabis, meth, cocaine, heroin, ecstasy, LSD, mushrooms or even any legal medications like codine, vikoden, valum, percecet, zanex, or any other mind altering and potentially dangerous perscription?

      Seriously, I have at least tried most of them and I DO know the difference between cannabis and harder substances. It shouldn't even be considered a "drug" any more than we consider alcohol a drug, but unlike alcohol, cannabis CANNOT kill you, it may even heal you due to it's medicinal properties.

      It's ignorance and bigotry like yours that has kept cannabis irrationally equated to shit like meth and heroine and it's BULLSHIT.

      People should not be going to jail and all the related crap because they choose a safer alternative or especially for those who have a legitimate medicinal need that cannabis can fill. Pull your head out of your ass, your ignorance makes you look worse than those you intend to demean with your unfounded stereotypical "pothead" comments. It's insulting to those of us who actually understand the topic with first hand experience and have the intelligence to form rational conclusions.

      I'm about to graduate from 6 years of engineering studies with a 3.6GPA, who the fuck are you calling a "poor little addict"??

    • 2 years ago
  • bombastinator
    • 0
      bombastinator  
    • bombastinator:

      So you agree that it's an april fools then? A manifesto has apparently been requested. All those who don't care please feel free to move along. I probably would.

      Alcohol prohibition was a horrible idea, but not because stopping people from becoming alcoholics is a bad thing. It was bad because it was both utterly impossible to achieve and caused even bigger problems than it attempted to solve. Alcohol was already a part of american culture and could not be removed. This may in fact be true of pot these days too.

      Alcohol is currently illegal in numerous Islamic countries. I have no idea how well it works. Perhaps their alcoholism related death rate could be checked. I understand that in Saudi Arabia alcohol is becoming part of the the culture in some circles.

      In a point of irony Morphine was at one time promoted to stop alcohol abuse, and then in turn heroin was promoted to stop morphine abuse. Bayer (the corporation) actually sent heroin to morphine addicts free in the mail. Would they have done better if they tried promoting pot instead? I dunno. Maybe. It was a long time ago. There was a time around the turn of the century when everything was legal, and things did not go well. Laws were enacted, and things got better. That is history.

      I am constantly amused by the desperation and straw grabbing of the pro pot faction though. The more often they do it the more ridiculous they seem. Witness the point made earlier that alcohol has no medical use. I invite you to think about that one for a full ten seconds.

      Marijuana legalization's biggest problem is that it's proponents are often... well... pot heads. The non pot smoking community does not find them to be particularly objective or credible. Often for good cause. The more ridiculous garbage comes up, the less credible they seem.

      In areas where non users find value, such as cancer care, traction is gained, but every poorly thought out argument and desperate pseudo scientific lunge causes it to lose ground again. It's bad enough that groups lose credibility by merely being associated with pot legalization.

      Bigotry has been claimed. Do I claim that your opinion is wrong? No. I claim that you support it with all the grace and aplomb of a guy with his foot in a mop bucket falling down the stairs, and is fatally unconvincing to anyone but the previously converted. I suspect (or hope) that This Aaron Houston guy is a lot better at it. Maybe someone should mail him about the RT thing and get it straightened out.

    • 2 years ago
  • yesindeed
  • franklinpeanut
  • RudyRudell
  • Agent_Alpha
  • SeanCanThink
    • 0
      SeanCanThink  

    • Love Obama, but why back down from this issue and give up billions in potential revenue that could boost our Gross Domestic Product by growing it here in the states instead of oversees? Mexican weed is all dry and crappy anyways. As far as a change in public health and moral sanctity, legalizing it could reduce gang violence in the drug trade buisness. Ok, now im just babbling on something everyone knows already. One Love.

    • 2 years ago
  • Robroy1
  • atee
    • 0
      atee  

    • The hearing was canceled March 31, and Wikipedia says it won't be heard until 2010. I'm not holding me breath

    • 2 years ago
  • erikjames
    • 0
      erikjames  

    • oh yeah.

      i did a current event in my world history class arguing to legalize it, and while i met no opposition in my class, they do all think i smoke pot now.

      and when we get back to school, i am sooo going to make my teacher use this as our current event to show the whole class.

    • 2 years ago
  • stuburns
  • unimatrix0
  • Bigdog_mike
  • numinant
    • 0
      numinant  

    • I wonder how Obama feels about this personally (as opposed to his public, political position). I get the feeling that he might seriously address this issue given the accumulation of enough political capital. I hope so, anyway. You'll notice that he dodges the issue rather than explicitly saying that he opposes the idea. He only says that he doesn't feel it's the right direction to go in, and politically, he may be right.

    • 2 years ago
  • PressCore
    • 0
      PressCore  

    • Millions ? That has to be the understatement of the century. Trillions of dollars is a lot closer to the truth. None of the slower, dimwitted who couldn't begin to know how many people smoke could ever count that sum in all its hyperinflated terms properly. They couldn't even begin to understand all the spinoff effects. When people
      aren't extorted with extreme medical costs, and unpaid sick days because of unprotected health, they'll have a
      lot more net wages to spend on buying taxable items they've had to avoid. They'd see Millions in days.

    • 2 years ago
  • kilgo
    • 0
      kilgo  

    • The HR1866,by Ron Paul and Barney Frank is a Hemp Bill, anyone one can aquire American Marijuana no one can get Hemp that is grown in the USA..Go to votehemp and send an email to your Legislatures to co sponsor HR1866.LEGALIZE

    • 2 years ago
  • tomas_el_madrileno
  • maxjunk
  • amberaa
    • 0
      amberaa  

    • The idea is that it will officially make this a states choice by allowing California to officially have it legal, so it is going through congress. It is going through the committee of pubic safety and health. Please write to these members and to your representatives in order to help pass this bill. If it passes here it has the potential to make it legal in your state too!

    • 2 years ago
  • simplecj
    • 0
      simplecj  

    • The video made it seem like it was federal, but I can't find anything but the California bill.

      My question is how can they possibly keep it ilegal at the federal level with states that have legalized use? It's a contradiction of policy and it must be fixed on the federal end of it.

    • 2 years ago
  • abipolarmind
  • ras_menelik
  • amberaa
  • simplecj
  • kilgo
  • simplecj
    • 0
      simplecj  

    • Can anyone find out more about this bill. I can't find anything in the Google news results. There's got to be something, a bill number or something...

    • 2 years ago
  • simplecj
  • krush_productions
  • pjacobs51
  • asherp
  • pjacobs51
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