Rep. Barney Frank to introduce Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act of 2009
Thursday, June 11th, 2009 at 10:20 am | By: Paul Armentano
Massachusetts Democrat Barney Frank, along with a bipartisan coalition of 9 co-sponsors (see below), will reintroduce legislation in Congress today to strengthen legal protections for state-authorized medical marijuana patients.
The bill, entitled the Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act of 2009, seeks to amend the discrepancy between federal law and the laws of over a dozen states that have enacted regulations governing the therapeutic use of cannabis.
Thirteen states – Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington – have enacted laws prohibiting medical marijuana patients from state prosecution. Passage of the the Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act would ensure that medical cannabis patients who are compliant with state would no longer have to fear arrest or prosecution from federal law enforcement agencies.
Previous versions of the Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act were introduced in both the 108th and 109th Congress, but failed to receive a public hearing or a committee vote.
While campaigning for the presidency, Barack Obama promised not to use Justice Department resources “to try and circumvent state (medical marijuana) laws” — a pledge that has been repeated in recent months by US Attorney General Eric Holder. Nevertheless, agents from the US Drug Enforcement Administration have continued to target medical marijuana providers in states that allow for the drug’s use.
To support the Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act of 2009, please log on to NORML’s Take Action Center here.
Co-sponsors of the Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act of 2009
- Barney Frank (D-MA)
- Earl Blumenauer (D-OR)
- Sam Farr (D-CA)
- Jim McDermott (D-WA)
- Ron Paul (R-TX)
- Lynn Woolsey (D-CA)
- Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA)
- Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ)
- Mike Thompson (D-CA)
- George Miller (D-CA)
I love Barney Frank’s thinking about protecting sick people…..Jehovah, please bless his efforts; now Free Charles Lynch….Free Charles Lynch…Free Charles Lynch…Free a righteous human being…..Jehovah, please touch Obamah’s thinking (heart)… we need him to step up to the plate; be the great man that he is, and free Charles Lynch….now I know that is an impossibility, so I’m asking for a miracle….
Amen.
[...] case highlights the need to pass Rep. Barney Franks’ Medical Marijuana Protection Act of 2009, to be introduced later today. The bill would protect providers and patients in the thirteen [...]
[...] case highlights the need to pass Rep. Barney Franks’ Medical Marijuana Protection Act of 2009, to be introduced later today. The bill would protect providers and patients in the thirteen [...]
[...] case highlights the need to pass Rep. Barney Franks’ Medical Marijuana Protection Act of 2009, to be introduced later today. The bill would protect providers and patients in the thirteen [...]
Will this also protect caregivers/dispensaries?
Majority of the cosponsors are from the west. 9 out of 10 reside on a coastal state. Where are the mid-state cosponsors? Did Barney leave them out? Our main man Cohen from Tenn?
That’s up to you, give your main man a call.