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| Rep. Adam Smith Asks DOJ to Respect MJ Laws |
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Posted by CN Staff on November 17, 2012 at 05:44:54 PT By Alexa Vaughn Source: Seattle Times 
Washington, D.C. -- U.S. Rep. Adam Smith and 17 other U.S. Congress members formally asked the Department of Justice and Drug Enforcement Administration not to enforce federal drug laws against marijuana use in Washington and Colorado in a letter released Friday.Though both states have made regulated, recreational use of marijuana legal, federal agencies still have the power to enforce a federal ban on the drug. “We believe that it would be a mistake for the federal government to focus enforcement action on individuals whose actions are in compliance with state law,” says the letter addressed to Attorney General Eric Holder and Drug Enforcement Administrator Michele Leonhart. According to the letter, the Department of Justice made assurances in 2009 that it would not prioritize criminal charges against those who are in compliance with state law. But the Congress members are concerned about whether those assurances still stand. The letter then goes on to ask federal drug law enforcers to allow states such as Washington and Colorado to be “laboratories of democracy” that help progress drug policy nationwide. “These states have chosen to move from a drug policy that spends millions of dollars turning ordinary Americans into criminals toward one that will tightly regulate the use of marijuana while raising tax revenue to support cash-strapped state and local governments,” the letter says. “We believe this approach embraces the goals of existing federal marijuana law: to stop international trafficking, deter domestic organized criminal organizations, stop violence associated with the drug trade and protect children.” From The Seattle Times Blog Source: Seattle Times (WA) CannabisNews -- Cannabis Archives Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help
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| Comment #5 posted by Lucas on November 18, 2012 at 18:38:09 PT |
| > and 17 other U.S. Congress members out of 435, thats about 4% my more cynical self thinks "if voting counted, they would make it illegal" but Im still hopeful, and grateful, to those who are trying to change the laws Major progress imo, with Wash and Colo at the fore.. kudos! [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #4 posted by Hope on November 17, 2012 at 12:27:40 PT |
| "U.S. Rep. Adam Smith and 17 other U.S. Congress members", said, to the Feds, in a letter, “These states have chosen to move from a drug policy that spends millions of dollars turning ordinary Americans into criminals toward one that will tightly regulate the use of marijuana while raising tax revenue to support cash-strapped state and local governments. We believe this approach embraces the goals of existing federal marijuana law: to stop international trafficking, deter domestic organized criminal organizations, stop violence associated with the drug trade and protect children.” Well said, to the ladies and gentlemen that signed this document, this letter, and,I'd like to say, this well thought out proclamation of intention certainly makes you look like good representatives of "The people" there, that you are supposed to be representing and apparently are. Outstanding work. There's a wow factor here. We are grown people and the government and IT'S representatives are not our mamma or our daddy. Wow. Representatives of the people's will and interest! [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #3 posted by HempWorld on November 17, 2012 at 08:08:01 PT |
| PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Recent campaigns that made Colorado and Washington the first states in the U.S. to legalize recreational marijuana are energizing efforts to do the same in New England, with lawmakers in Rhode Island and Maine vowing to push legislation next year to impose alcohol-style regulations and taxes on the drug. Rhode Island Rep. Edith Ajello, D-Providence, said yesterday that the passage of legalization referendums in the two Western states are the latest indication that American attitudes toward marijuana are softening. Read More ... On and on... http://www.salemnews.com/archive/x357199568/RI-Maine-lawmakers-seek-to-legalize-pot [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #2 posted by John Tyler on November 17, 2012 at 07:22:19 PT |
| The Feds have a graceful, face-saving way out here. They can back off and do nothing and justify that position as listening to the voice of the people, states’ rights, and states are the laboratory of democracy. [ Post Comment ] |
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Comment #1 posted by kaptinemo on November 17, 2012 at 07:02:36 PT:
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| ...loud and clear. Because implicit in the votes in favor of the initiatives is a warning and a threat. Go against the clearly expressed will of the people, and you face political annihilation. Fail to stand up to the Feds on this, and we'll find someone who will...and they'll be enjoying the failed pol's salary. The gloves have come off...and we showed we pack quite a wallop. I always said we had the numbers. Now we have the will and the means. And the pols who laughed at us are now wishing they had kept their mouths shut. For, as the saying goes, "The Internet is forever", and those who stand against reform now will be reminded of their poor judgment later, at the voting booths. [ Post Comment ] |
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