Rep. John Boozman (R-AR) on Marijuana Law Reform

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