The House voted Wednesday to prevent the Justice Department from interfering with state-wide medical marijuana laws.
Similar language was passed in the last Congress, but today, the House passed it by an even wider margin, and with support from a substantial number of Republicans. The measure passed 242-186, and 67 Republicans voted for it. Only 10 Democrats opposed it.
The language from Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., would stop the Justice Department from interfering in any way with state laws dealing with the growing, distribution or use of medical marijuana. The measure was passed in the context of a growing number of states that allow marijuana use for medical reasons.
Nearly half of all U.S. states, including California, allow it.
“The intent of this amendment is to make it illegal for federal employees to engage in efforts to enforce federal law that makes the medical use or distribution of medical marijuana illegal in states where the use of marijuana for medical purposes has been made legal,” Rohrabacher said during late Tuesday night debate on his proposal.
“The practical aspect of this vote is based on the realization that, at a time of severely limited resources, it makes sense to target terrorists, criminals and other threats to the American people rather than use federal law enforcement resources to prevent suffering and sick people from using a weed that may or may not alleviate their suffering,” he said.
He was opposed by another Republican, Rep. John Fleming of Louisiana, who argued that the Supreme Court has ruled that the federal government has “preemptive rights” when it comes to drug laws. He said medical marijuana has “no accepted medical use,” and can lead to other problems.
“It is known to have brain development alterations, schizophrenia and other forms of mental illness, psychosis, heart complications, and an increased risk of stroke,” he said. “A study recently found that even casual users experience severe brain abnormalities found on MRIs, and that pot smoking leads to the loss of ambition, to lower IQs and that it impairs attention, judgment, memory and many other things.”
But not only did Rohrabacher’s language pass easily, the House almost passed another proposal from Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., that would have prohibited the Justice Department from interfering with any laws dealing with marijuana on non-federal lands. That proposal lost narrowly, in a 206-222 vote.
