A bipartisan bill would eliminate the federal government’s ability to prosecute marijuana users in states that have legalized the drug.
The “Respect State Marijuana Laws Act,” reintroduced Wednesday by Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.), has six Republican cosponsors and six Democratic cosponsors, including Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) Justin Amash (R-Mich.), Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) and Jared Polis (D – Colo.)
The role of the federal government in policing state marijuana laws is a hot topic in Congress. Senators Rand Paul, (R-Ky), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), and Cory Booker (D-N.Y.) recently introduced a similar bill that deals strictly with medical marijuana and focuses on the potential treatment benefits that could be unleashed if the drug were opened up to more research.
Rohrabacher’s bill, in contrast, would apply to both recreational and medical marijuana.
A former Reagan speechwriter, Rohrabacher has been a staunch advocate for marijuana legalization. Last year he declared that pot is no more dangerous than tequila.
“Let’s have a common sense approach to this,” he said. “Let’s not waste tax dollars and oppress people with big government. Let’s leave these issues up to the states and strike a blow for liberty.”
The Marijuana Policy Project had nothing but praise for the congressman’s bill in a statement Wednesday, calling it the “best” bill available.
“Because of MPP’s success in changing public opinion and state laws, we expect numerous bills to be introduced this year to reform federal marijuana laws,” they wrote. “We will support all of them, but Rep. Rohrabacher’s bill stands out. It’s the best policy — covering not just medical marijuana, but adult-use laws passed in four states and Washington, D.C. — and has the best chance of passing.”
Rohrabacher also introduced the bill in 2013.
