through our Representatives....gotta love Mike even if he is a blue dog!

111th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 2835

To provide for the medical use of marijuana in accordance with the laws of the various States.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

June 11, 2009

Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts (for himself, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Mr. FARR, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr. PAUL, Ms. WOOLSEY, Mr. ROHRABACHER, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. THOMPSON of California, Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California, Mr. STARK, Mr. HINCHEY, Mr. OLVER, and Ms. BALDWIN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce.


A BILL

To provide for the medical use of marijuana in accordance with the laws of the various States.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ‘Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act’.

SEC. 2. CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES ACT.

(a) Schedule- Marijuana is moved from schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act to schedule II of such Act.

(b) Prescription or Recommendation-

(1) IN GENERAL- No provision of the Controlled Substances Act shall prohibit or otherwise restrict in a State in which marijuana may be prescribed or recommended by a physician for medical use under applicable State law--

(A) the prescription or recommendation of marijuana by a physician for medical use;

(B) an individual from obtaining, possessing, or transporting within their State, manufacturing or using marijuana in accordance with a prescription or recommendation of marijuana by a physician for medical use by such individual hereinafter in this section referred to as ‘an authorized patient’;

(C) an individual authorized under State law to obtain, possess, transport within their State, or manufacture marijuana from obtaining, possessing, transporting within their State, or manufacturing marijuana on an authorized patient’s behalf; or

(D) a pharmacy or other entity authorized under local or State law to distribute medical marijuana to authorized patients from obtaining, possessing or distributing marijuana to such authorized patients.

(2) PRODUCTION- No provision of the Controlled Substances Act shall prohibit or otherwise restrict an entity authorized by a State or local government, in which marijuana may be prescribed or recommended by a physician for medical use, for the purpose of producing marijuana for prescription or recommendation by a physician for medical use from producing, processing, or distributing marijuana for such purpose.

SEC. 3. FEDERAL FOOD, DRUG, AND COSMETIC ACT.

(a) In General- No provision of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act shall prohibit or otherwise restrict in a State in which marijuana may be prescribed or recommended by a physician for medical use under applicable State law--

(1) the prescription or recommendation of marijuana by a physician for medical use;

(2) an individual from obtaining, possessing, or transporting within their State, manufacturing, or using marijuana in accordance with a prescription or recommendation of marijuana by a physician for medical use by such individual, hereinafter in this section referred to as ‘an authorized patient’;

(3) an individual authorized under State law to obtain, possess, transport within their State, or manufacture marijuana from obtaining, possessing, transporting within their State, or manufacturing marijuana on an authorized patient’s behalf; or

(4) a pharmacy or other entity authorized under local or State law to distribute medical marijuana to authorized patients from obtaining, possessing or distributing marijuana to such authorized patients.

(b) Production- No provision of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act shall prohibit or otherwise restrict an entity authorized by a State or local government, in which marijuana may be prescribed or recommended by a physician for medical use, for the purpose of producing marijuana for prescription or recommendation by a physician for medical use from producing, processing, or distributing marijuana for such purpose.

NOT! Obama is more of the same, more wars without end, corporate water carrying and no sensible dope policy, because BO is FAR too cowardly to show real leadership-the kind that would involve creating a drug policy that makes sense.

let him try out and old friend...Keynesian Economics

DEA employees have to justify their existence, no one said anything about not hassling growers and collectives. If the Justice Department doesn’t prosecute, there are usually some code violations, or some other petty grievance local officials can glom onto. I think it’s a little early to think the president is authorizing individual raids. Call/write your representatives and register your displeasure with what was the arrest and harassment of a perfectly reasonable medical marijuana crop.

the growers who make threats against people, like the ones in the hills above Lucerne and Nice? Anyone remember the threats that were mailed out earlier this year?

How about going after the cartels with their 1000+ plant grows that leave the ground littered with trash and debris? And leave traps and are violent to people passing through?

There are 2 types of people in the pot business. Those who are into it like fine wine or micro brews, then there are people just looking to make money off the former.

Heck I am conflicted surrounding marijuana issues, but one thing for sure, we need reform!

We have an avalanche of evidence, which shows U.S. and California marijuana policies do not eliminate marijuana problems, but rather encourage involvement of organized crime and bring correspondingly bigger profits.

I am tired of paying tax dollars toward policies that do not work.

Although I am not a smoker, I do not think smoking marijuana is bad. In fact, studies show marijuana use results in far fewer health and societal problems than tobacco or alcohol use, both legal with government restrictions.

Marijuana helps people manage pain and other terrible disease symptoms, which, at minimum, restrict normal activity, and at worst, painfully kills victims.

Adults have the capacity and right to explore and determine whether pot alleviates symptoms. Doing so should not make those who suffer criminals.

I am angry that community members make large amounts of untaxed income growing an illegal crop. Those dollars pay for mortgages, vehicles, and even everyday, expenses, while the rest of us play by the rules for paychecks.

Still, I applaud “compassionate grow” advocates and individuals putting themselves at risk to supply medical marijuana to people who need and want it.

Please do not think I want to limit marijuana use to medical use only. Aside from the legal implications, I do not see a problem with responsible recreational use or growing/producing; I think it is as much a “problem” as growing your own grapes or hops and making wine & beer for home consumption.

Since the crop is illegal, and grown in “secrecy” (of course, many of us recognize the smell of a maturing crop as we drive along local highways and surface streets) there is no oversight for pesticide and fertilizer use. Stories abound where growers take or foul water sources, trespass, obtain illegal firearms, create unsafe work conditions, leave trash and pollution, and I am sure, dozens of other issues. I guess pot smokers, like other consumers of other crops, are best served when they know their grower and their grower’s production standards.

I don’t know Tom Carter, but I know he has a reputation as a fair employer, a reliable businessman and a community contributor.

Was anyone else offended to hear drug enforcement agents are driving Cadillacs? This is an example of how our tax dollars are spent!

I want to see marijuana policies change: LEGALIZE, REGULATE and TAX !

If you ever have concerns about if we need this kind of enforcement, search almost anything with marijuana in the title. You talk about some misguided people. My favorites were under "marijuana safety" and "marijuana deaths". The opinion posts on those subjects would be funny if they weren't so sad. Read both advocate and government pages. Staggering differences in opinion. Then read the medical and scientific sites. This idea of a harmless drug starts to really come into focus when you realize the untold devistation that it produces.

Here's two very recent articles stating how marijuana fights cancer. You are so misguided Cale. Here's proof! Enough of your lies on this site.

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTRE57O5DC20090825 - Long term Cannabis smoking reduces risk of head and neck cancer.
http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTRE57I02Z20090819 - Cannabis compounds fight prostate cancer

And yesterday Argentina decriminalized cannabis for personal use for all its citizens. America is becoming the last draconian state when it comes to marijuana.

Other countries that have decriminalized marijuana:
The Netherlands
Spain
Portugal
Mexico
Argentina

The users of marijuana support the decriminalization of marijuana use. Growers support the criminalization, because it keeps the profits higher for growers and middle men. The growers will fight tooth and nail to help keep it illegal so they stay profitable, and don't have to get real jobs.

Stop using "medicinal" as a sole reason for legalization, there are MANY more people that want it legal for recreational use, and that's totally cool. There are some medicinal benefits, as well and some social and holistic benefits too. But to hinge the vote on this issue by masking it like it's only for medicinal use is doing everyone on both sides of the issue an injustice. If we pass bills, and vote to legalize it, it's gonna be legal. And it looks to be legal soon (give it a year, maybe 2). Then no one will have to carry 215 cards, and it will be regulated similarly to alcohol, and... it will get cheaper, depending on how California taxes the sale of it.

I only support people who are mature enough to respect the fact that others have opinions.

They used to say that about tobacco and coccain. Canada legalized it and there crime has gone up. For everyone of you pro articles there is a con. Once the lies stop, legalization will be easier.

"Overall, however, research on the effects of marijuana on human health is mixed. Some studies have suggested the drug can increase a person's risk of heart attack or stroke and cause some cancers such as lung cancer"

Which are fueled by our antiquated cannabis laws and the greed of such gangs as the Hells Angels and others. Why are they at war with each other - over capturing the lucrative American market because of said antiquated drug laws. More people die in a minute in vehicle collisions that will ever die from cannabis usage. The deaths related to cannabis come from it's prohibition, not it's consumption (even your own citation uses the word "suggested"). Shall we get into the death toll of legal tobacco and alcohol? This county's tourism is booze based - why aren't you busting the BOS and CoC respective chops over that?

Wake up Lake County! Do you want to see another Waco here? By allowing the FEDS free access to bust our citizens who are abiding by California law, we are setting up a scenario that may soon result in another Waco. We are probably lucky it hasn't already happened.

It's not by accident that the FEDS brought in 4 helicopters, dozens of officers and who knows how many more involved in the planning and execution of these raids. All to seize 144 plants? They are prepared for the worst case scenario...

Apparently they are EAGER for some kind confrontation, like the one in Waco, Texas. Perhaps they think a deadly battle over marijuana gardens is just the kind of publicity they need to crack down even harder and justify their actions here?

Is that what you want on your doorstep, Lake County? The FEDS coming in with their jack boots, Nazi style, guns blazing, perhaps killing innocent children in a raid to get at a few plants? Is this what we've come to?

Think of what that kind of scenario will do for Lake County's already sinking reputation? Things are going to get much worse here apparently, and our local Law Enforcement Division is ever so eager to make it so. You should be defending our rights not helping to violate them.

It's time for our County leaders to grow some balls and demand the FEDS stay out of Lake County, off private property, or there will be consequences... Karma is coming to Lake County!

All this is part of the legacy of a former governor of California, Ronald Reagan, whose attitude towards us he summed up with these words: "If it's a bloodbath they want, let's get it over with..."

Never forget the crimes committed against the people by our government!

Legalize Cannabis NOW!

If you start a compound like that guy I guaranteeeeee the same result. If you are manufacturing this drug around children then I hope it does happen. Bad arguement. Oh, and Donna, Only show those numbers if you compare apples to apples. The zero in the statement that "pot causes zero deaths" is talking about overdoses which is inaccurate though the number is very low, around 6 in 2006 in the major met. areas. But are we talking overdoses. Tobacco overdose, how many of those are there. obviously cancer kills and is a result of smoking but thats a tobacco related death. Marijuana related deaths are not reported or talked about the same way. The numbers on suicide are interesting. The numbers on murder while under the influence of pot are starting to come out, and they are pretty interesting. By no means is this a harmless drug. Truth will get this done yet people still hide behind mistruth.

the six overdose deaths cause by cannabis. Cannabis prohibition laws cause artificial price supports which lead to violence which can lead to fatalities. It is impossible to puff yourself into an overdose - you'd fall asleep long before you got to that point! How many murders are committed over booze and tobacco - none as they are decriminalized and regulated. And I'd bet tobacco, booze, high fructose corn syrup, saturated fats and medical mistakes (many due to crappy handwriting by tending docs - wrong drugs or wrong dosages) are responsible for more deaths than all illegal drugs combined. But hey, the status quo is working out soooo darn well let's just keeping doing the same thing over and over whilst hoping the definition of insanity changes.

Google it. you can dismiss it all you want. It happens. It is said to be a cummulative OD. Building up over time until heart and lung failure. I didn't make it up like some people might. It took about two minutes to find it. Take the blinders off and search for the truth.

Your reasoning of these other things being dangerous so why not add another is a tired argument. Pot should be and will be legal but why not do it better than those other things? Should we not learn anything from the past?

Something else I will say. I believe this is a privacy issue. You should be able to do in your own space whatever you want. Including drugs. Its how it affects others where the laws have to be set. Until people realize that not everyone wants this drug legal and that they should be swaying public opinion with truth and not mistruth, there will be arrests like these. Correct arrests by the laws we have in place.

riiiiight. My MIL's neighbor, who just recently passed in his late 80s, was a native Mexican (but a naturalized citizen). He smoked cannabis his entire adult life. So how long do ya have to live for it to accummulate enough to be lethal? Couple hundred years? Argentina - latest country to decriminalize personal usage. The greatest danger to our children is auto accidents due to inattention (cell phones etc) and sending their asses into unprovoked (Iraq) and unwinnable (Demisistan) wars. Oh yeah, and our War on Drugs - but that kill rate covers all ages.

Forget all the studies if you don't believe them. Instead, look at your OWN LIFE for the truth! Pause a moment and reflect on your own life's experience and that of the people you know.

How many people do you know PERSONALLY who have died or have terminal illness due to smoking tobacco?

How many people do you know PERSONALLY who have died or have been crippled due to the effects of alcohol (including car accidents)?

Now, how many people do you know PERSONALLY who have died from marijuana or been crippled by it (not in combination with other drugs or alcohol)?

I think you now know the truth about cannabis... And you are the one who is lying about it.