Thank you for contacting me with your support for the legalization of marijuana. I appreciate you taking the time to share your views with me on this matter.

Marijuana use is increasing among today’s youth, and as a mother and a grandmother, I am concerned by any initiative that might contribute to increased substance abuse. While I am not convinced that legalization of marijuana is appropriate at this time, I do believe that doctors should be permitted to prescribe marijuana for patients suffering from cancer, AIDS, glaucoma, spastic disorders, and other debilitating diseases. The people of Marin and Sonoma counties have made it clear that they want doctors to be permitted to prescribe marijuana for their patients suffering from debilitating diseases, and I believe that the federal government must not stand in the way. That’s why I’m an original cosponsor of H.R. 2835, the Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act, which would prevent federal laws from restricting the production, distribution, and use of medical marijuana. You can be sure that I will continue to be an advocate for the right of States to determine their own laws regarding medical marijuana.

Again, it’s good to hear from you. The people of Marin and Sonoma counties are the most important voices I listen to as I work in Congress.

Sincerely,

Lynn Woolsey
Member of Congress

Then why not be an advocate for the right of States to determine their own laws regarding consumer cannabis?  Why does the state have the right to vote to allow sick people to use cannabis, but we must maintain a federal prohibition against any state that would vote to allow healthy people to use cannabis?

Thank you for contacting me regarding H.R. 2943, the Personal Use of Marijuana by Responsible Adults Act. I appreciate knowing your views.

As you know, Representative Frank Barney introduced H.R. 2943 on June 18, 2009. H.R. 2943 would eliminate most Federal penalties for possession of marijuana for personal use. Currently this legislation has been referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Although I do not serve on this committee, I look forward to reviewing its findings and recommendations on the bill.

The Federal Controlled Substance Act (FCSA) outlaws the cultivation, distribution, or possession of marijuana. This law requires that all local, state and federal authorities prosecute violations regarding the use of marijuana. While I appreciate the benefit of your views, I am afraid we disagree on this issue, and I cannot support the legalization of marijuana.

Again, thank you for contacting me. Please do not hesitate to contact me if I may be of service to you in the future.

Sincerely,

Randy Neugebauer
Member of Congress

Well, that’s short and to the point: I heard you, I disagree with you, I won’t bother to tell you why.  That’s the kind of thoughtful representation of which the citizens of the Lone Star State should be proud.

Thank you for contacting me regarding legislation aimed at the legalization of marijuana. I appreciate hearing from you on this issue. As you may know there are several pieces of legislation that would eliminate most Federal penalties for possession of marijuana for personal use.

There has been continuous debate regarding marijuana, and its proposed medical use in treatment in the United States. Congress has voted on several bills to legalize the medical use of marijuana; however none of those bills passed the House of Representatives. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has five criteria for reclassifying marijuana’s schedule, and it believes that marijuana has not met those criteria. In June 2005, the Supreme Court ruled 6 to 3 that federal
laws against marijuana, including its medical use, are valid.

Please know that I understand your concerns and that your input on this issue is important to me. Drugs are not approved for medicine until there is a consensus of the national community of experts. At this time, there is no consensus on this issue. Please be assured that I will continue to monitor this issue and will keep your views in mind if I am asked to vote on any related legislative initiatives.

Thank you again for contacting me. If I can ever be of any assistance to you, please do not hesitate to contact me in my Washington, D.C. office, or district office most convenient to you.

Sincerely,

Mike Ross

Thank you for letting me know of your support for H.R. 2835, the Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act.

You may also be interested to know that the Minnesota Senate recently passed a bill legalizing the use of medicinal marijuana.

H.R. 2835 has been referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee, of which I am not a member. I look forward to reviewing the committee’s recommendation and you can be sure I will keep your views in mind as this legislation moves forward.

Thank you again for sharing your views, as I appreciate hearing from you. Please let me know whenever I can be of assistance.

Sincerely,

Erik Paulsen
Member of Congress

And so your position is?…

Thank you for contacting me to express your support for the legalization of marijuana. I am pleased to learn your views and appreciate the opportunity to share mine.

Like you, I believe that some of our attempts to curb the abuse of drugs, including marijuana, such as spending time and resources on harsh sentences for minor offenses, have been shortsighted and inadequate. I feel that the best approach to addressing drug abuse in our country is to focus our efforts on prevention and treatment. People become addicted to drugs for a variety of reasons, therefore prevention efforts must include comprehensive educational programs that incorporate schools, family, and communities. In addition, individuals are not likely to remain off drugs unless they undergo treatment. That is why I believe it is critical for such programs to be an important part of our nation’s approach to drug control.

I also agree that it is inappropriate for the federal government to threaten the quality of patient care and the practice of pain management under the auspices of fighting drugs. As you know, there is credible evidence that marijuana is a crucial pain reliever for patients struggling with serious illness and complications that result from conditions like cancer and HIV/AIDS. Accordingly, I do not believe the federal government should prohibit states, like Colorado, from implementing laws authorizing the use of medical marijuana. I have supported efforts in Congress that would have blocked such federal government intervention.

Again, thank you for letting me know your views.

Sincerely,

Diana DeGette
Member of Congress

Like a breath of fresh air…

Thank you for contacting me with your opinions regarding the legalization of marijuana. As always, it is a pleasure to hear from the constituents I represent, and I appreciate this opportunity to respond.

While I certainly understand the arguments made for removing federal penalties for personal use and possession of marijuana, I am also aware that drug abuse is a serious concern for our country. As a former sheriff, I have seen first hand how lives can be ruined by addiction to drugs, including the irresponsible use of marijuana. Given the prevalence of drug abuse in our society, the decriminalization of marijuana may pose more of a problem than a solution for law enforcement, making it more difficult to prosecute those individuals involved in the illegal sale and purchase of marijuana. However, I will keep your views in mind as I continue to work with my colleagues in the 111th Congress.

I actually agree with him on the point about decriminalization.  It legalizes the demand while criminalizing the supply.  You can have 3.5 ounces, so long as it falls out of the sky into your hands.  That’s why I push for full legalization.

Again, thank you for contacting me.

Sincerely,

Solomon P. Ortiz
Member of Congress

Thank you for contacting me to express your support for the legalization of marijuana. It was good to hear from you.

Like you, I am concerned about the strains placed on our criminal justice system by current efforts to reduce the harmful effects of illicit drug abuse. In fact, I have been a strong supporter of using drug courts as an alternative to incarceration for many nonviolent offenders, and I have led efforts in the House of Representatives to increase funding for our drug court programs. However, while I understand your reasons for supporting the legalization of marijuana, I respectfully disagree. Illegal drugs are the number one cause for crime and violence in our nation, and drug abuse has harmed many families. I feel legalization would reduce many people’s perception of the risks and costs of drug abuse and have many negative consequences.

No, prohibition of drugs is the number one cause of crime and violence.  Heard of any “beer gangs” lately?

You also mentioned concerns that federal financial aid is cut off for some students due to “minor marijuana possession offenses”. We need to consider how current law affects hardworking students who have paid their debts to society and are trying to get back on the right track. Under current law, a student may reestablish eligibility depending on several factors, including: 1) length of time since the conviction, 2) the number of prior convictions, and 3) whether the conviction was for selling or possessing a controlled substance. Like you, I believe that we should help students who have completed their sentences find the path to success by providing them an equal opportunity to education.

In other words, punish the student for smoking a joint by making it impossible for them to attend school for a certain period of time.  If they want to approach coma and death by power chugging a beer bong at a frat party, they’re welcome to come in hungover to class the next day, but smoke a joint and they need to be kicked out of school and work a menial job in the hopes of scraping up enough money to pay for school on their own.  Hmm, maybe they can sell weed to make their tuition money!

Finally, I understand many people believe that marijuana should be legalized in order to relieve suffering. As a member of the medical community, I am aware that leading healthcare groups, such as the American Medical Association (AMA) and the American Cancer Society (ACS) have strong concerns about the “medicinal” use of marijuana. Many health experts argue that people who smoke marijuana frequently are exposing themselves to a rather crude and potentially harmful drug delivery system. The smoke from a burning marijuana cigarette contains a variety of toxic chemicals that could be harmful, especially to users whose medical condition might be compromised further by choosing to smoke the drug for self-treatment.

How many toxic chemicals are in a pot brownie, sir?  Or a vaporizer bag?

I do support research into the safety and effectiveness of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is believed to be the primary chemical component responsible for marijuana’s psychopharmacological effects. The National Institute on Drug Abuse has provided grants for such studies. As a result of such research, dronabinol, the synthetic form of THC, has been available as an oral prescription drug since 1986 under its brand name “Marinol.”

Here you go, puking chemo patient, swallow this pill and keep it down for 45 minutes.

By the way, how is it that 100% highly-psychoactive THC in a sesame-oil-base pill is safe and effective, but 10% THC balanced by psychoactivity-moderating CBD in raw plant form needs more research?

For these reasons, I do not support any reduction in our policies designed to discourage marijuana use. Although we do not see eye-to-eye on this issue, I really appreciate the time you took to contact me. I assure you that your opinion matters to me, and I hope to hear from you regarding any future concerns you may have.

Again, thank you for contacting me on this very important issue.

Sincerely,
John Boozman
Member of Congress

Thank you for writing to express your opposition to the continued criminalization of marijuana. I appreciate having the benefit of your comments.

More than 11 million Americans buy illicit drugs and use them more than once a month, spending by most conservative estimates over $50 billion – and perhaps as much as $150 billion or more – annually in a diverse and fragmented criminal market. Supporters of decriminalizing marijuana believe it is not addictive, but nearly all studies show that most abusers of Schedule 1 drugs began by using marijuana. The National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health found that marijuana is indeed addictive with chronic use, and can have detrimental affects on the brain, the heart and lungs. It is absolutely essential that more studies be performed before approving a federal policy that discounts the harmful effects of marijuana.

I guess 17,000 studies just aren’t enough.  By the way, most abusers of Schedule 1 drugs began with alcohol, marijuana has less dependence risk than alcohol, and does not cause head, neck, or lung cancers, cognitive declines, memory loss, emphysema, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.  It may, with long-term chronic use, cause increased cough, sputum, or in rare cases, bronchitis.  Not anything like a legal tobacco cigarette would, however.

Legalizing marijuana would also set a dangerous precedent of undermining warnings to our children about the harmful effects of drug addiction. Today’s youth already view all drug use as less harmful and more socially acceptable and, as a result, usage is up. Sociologists agree that this increasing drug use exacerbates our worst social problems — crime, spiraling health costs, welfare dependency, domestic violence, teenage pregnancy and homelessness.

Actually, teen usage of marijuana is down since states began legalizing it for medical purposes.  What’s up lately is abuse of the legal prescription drugs that are advertised day and night on TV.

Measured in dollar value, at least four-fifths of all the illicit drugs consumed in the U.S. are of foreign origin, including 60-75 percent of marijuana. The foreign drug cartels that smuggle these drugs into the United States use murder and violent intimidation every bit as heinous as international terrorists. Enforcement experts in both the United States and Mexico argue forcefully that legalizing marijuana would increase competition and violence among these cartels, not reduce it.

Uh, wouldn’t legalization mean we can grow our own openly and domestically?  How many Mexican cartels are battling it out over tobacco fields, hops farms, or wine vineyards right now?

The federal anti-drug initiative has two major elements: (1) reduction of demand and (2) reduction of supply. Our foreign allies in this war on drugs deserve all of the efforts we can make to reduce the demand here in the United States.

Again, thank you for expressing your views on this issue. Please feel free to contact me with further comments or questions.

Sincerely,

Jerry Lewis
Member of Congress

Thank you for contacting me with your views concerning the legalization of marijuana. I appreciate your comments and I welcome this opportunity to share my thoughts.

As you know, marijuana is currently considered a controlled substance in the United States and the purchase, possession, use, sale, or cultivation of this drug is prohibited by federal law. Supporters of legalizing marijuana contend it can be effective when treating medical conditions and argue that resources are unnecessarily spent enforcing the federal ban on the drug. In response, several states have recently approved marijuana use for medical purposes or have taken steps to decriminalize its possession.

Recently, Congressman Barney Frank of Massachusetts introduced two bills regarding the medical and personal use of marijuana. The Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act, H.R. 2835, was introduced on June 11, 2009. This legislation would re-classify the drug as a schedule II substance, which would allow marijuana to be used for medical purposes. He also introduced the Personal Use of Marijuana by Responsible Adults Act, H.R. 2943, on June 18, 2009. This legislation would eliminate most Federal criminal penalties for the possession of up to 100 grams of marijuana for personal use. Currently, both bills are before the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

While I am a proponent of fiscal responsibility and the elimination of wasteful spending, I do not believe that the legalization of marijuana is an effective approach to our health and budget issues. Also, I will not support legislation that encourages any form of drug use and compromises the safety of our children. We must keep our streets safe and promote healthy lifestyles through our actions.

Again, thank you for contacting me. I appreciate your thoughts and value your input. Please do not hesitate to contact me or my office regarding this or any other matter that is important to you.

Sincerely,

Bobby Bright
Member of Congress

Question: Since we’ve spent $7 billion annually on enforcing marijuana laws and the net result has been that 84% of our children have “easy” or “fairly easy” access to marijuana and 22 million Americans will smoke marijuana this year, do you feel marijuana prohibition is fiscally responsible and not “wasteful spending”?

Thank you for contacting me with your support for H.R.2835, the Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act. I appreciate the opportunity to respond to you on this issue.

As you may be aware, marijuana is a Scheduled I substance under the Controlled Substances Act of 1970. Marijuana was placed in this most restricted category because it was found to have a high potential for abuse, has no currently accepted medical use in the U.S. and lacks accepted safety standards for use.

No, it was placed there because President Richard Nixon was a racist who hated long-haired dope-smoking young people who were burning draft cards and bras, embracing black culture and civil rights, and protesting his illegal wars, and since he couldn’t bust them for free speech, he busted them for their choice of social relaxant.  His own scientific commission determined that marijuana should not be criminalized.  If I may quote the crook from his White House tapes and memoirs of his Chief of Staff:

“I want a Goddamn strong statement on marijuana, I mean one that just tears the ass out of them. You know, it’s a funny thing, every one of the bastards that are out for legalizing marijuana is Jewish.”

“[S]oft-headed psychiatrists who work in places like NIMH (National Institute for Mental Health) favor marijuana because they’re probably all on the stuff themselves.”

“You have to face the fact that the whole problem is really the blacks. The key is to devise a system that recognizes this all while not appearing to.” (about the War on Drugs to Chief of Staff, H. R. Haldeman, according to Halderman’s diaries)

While I have heard the arguments for using marijuana for medicinal reasons, I am also aware of the availability of other legal drugs that can better treat the symptoms allegedly alleviated by marijuana.

Name one.  Explain how it better treats symptoms and then show me its side effects and potential for overdose.  I’ll give you one million dollars if you can find a safer alternative.

As the father of three, I believe allowing the medical use of marijuana sends the wrong message to our children that using this drug poses no risk and is harmless. There is no scientific evidence that marijuana is safe and effective to use.

So how are you keeping your kids from overdosing on Oxycontin, or for that matter, cough syrup?  Are you tired of those drugs’ legality sending the wrong message of risk and harm to you children?

There are 17,000 peer-reviewed studies and 5,000 years of history showing marijuana is safe and effective to use.

In addition, legalizing marijuana would only make it that much more difficult for our law enforcement to distinguish between medical and recreational users. The Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act would prevent federal authorities from prosecuting pharmacies, growers and users of medical marijuana in states that have legalized use for medical reasons.

Uh, Congressman, if marijuana is legalized, there will be no distinction between medical and recreational users for law enforcement to worry about.

Rest assured that while we may disagree on this issue, I will keep your specific thoughts firmly in mind as Congress continues to discuss this important issue.

Again, thank you for contacting me. Should you have any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to let me know.

Sincerely,

Duncan Hunter
Member of Congress