Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) on Marijuana Law Reform
Friday, January 30th, 2009 at 9:08 am | By: Radical Russ
Thank you for taking the time to contact my office about H.R. 5842, the Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act. Your input is important to me, and I appreciate the time you took to share your thoughts.
I appreciate you bringing this situation to my attention, and I agree with you that a person should not be denied access to needed medical care for legally following their doctor’s advice. The Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act and Hinchey-Rohrabacher amendment are currently in the House of Representatives and have not been introduced in the Senate; however, I do not support the legalization of marijuana or any legislation that declassifies it as a Schedule I drug.
Thank you again for your letter. I hope you will continue to share your thoughts with me.
Sincerely,
Bob Corker
United States Senator
So, let me get this straight, senator. You agree that a person should not be denied marijuana recommended by a doctor for medicinal use, but you wouldn’t change the federal scheduling that says marijuana has no medicinal use and doctors can’t recommend it.
Topics: Bob Corker, Politicians on Pot, Republican, Tennessee
I am a 59 year old retired US Navy Chief Warrant Officer (with 30 years of service), who has raised 4 children and currently has 6
grandchildren. I have lived in our state for nearly 3 years, and
take very seriously my responsibilities as a citizen of our great
nation. I fully support any medical marijuana bill. It
makes absolutely no sense what so ever that we allow our doctors the ability to prescribe a host of drugs that are far more lethal than marijuana (Opiate derivatives), and prescribe drugs that are manufactured forms of marijuana (marinol), yet, we will not allow them the ability to prescribe the natural grown herb. Where has this nations common since gone?
IT SEEMS LOGICAL TO ME THAT IF THE GOV.WANTS TO STOP THE INFLUX OF MARIJUANA FROM MEXICO AND OTHER COUNTRIES ,THEY SHOULD LET PEOPLE GROW THEIR OWN FOR THEIR PERSONAL CONSUMPTION.REGULATEIT,TAX IT AND APPLY STIFF PENALTIES FOR BEING CAUGHT WITH IT OUTSIDE YOUR HOME.I AM LIVING PROOF THAT IT DOES HAVE MAY MEDICAL USES.IT KEEPS ME FROM TAKING MORE DANGEROUIS DRUGS THAT DOCTORS PRESCIBE FOR MY VARIOUS CONDITIONS.THAT HAVE SERIOUS SIDE EFFECTS AND ARE ADDICTIVE.THERE IS SOME IGNORANCE RUNNING RAMPANT IN THIS COUNTRY ABOUT MARIJUANA.NON-ADDICTIVE NO SERIOUS SIDE EFFECTS.ME PERSONALLY I WOULD MUCH RATHER TAKE THE SIDE EFFECTS OF MARIJUANA THAN MORPHINE OR ANTI-DEPRESSANTS THAT CAN DRIVE A PERSON INTO A MORE DEPRESSED STATE AN EVEN CAUSE SOME TO COMMIT SUICIDE.AND I OR ANYONE ELSE OF LEGAL AGE CAN BUY ALCOHOL AND DRINK TO THE POINT OF HIGHWAY HOMICIDE AND RUIN THE FAMILY UNIT LIKE WHAT HAPPENED TO ME,IF MY DAD HAD SMOKED MARIJUANA I MIGHT HAVE GROWN UP WITH A MOTHER AND A FATHER INSTEAD OF BEING PUT IN AN ORFANAGE TO BE ABUSED BY THE VERY PEOPLE THAT WERE SUPPOED TO HELPING ME.YES,I HATE ALCOHOL AND WHAT IT HAS DONE TO MY LIFE,AND NOW I HAVE FOUND THAT MARIJUANA CAN GIVE ME A BETTER WAY OF LIFE AND I CAN’T GET IT LEGALLY,AND BE PUT IN JAIL AND PAY REDICULOUS FINES FOR HAVING EVEN JUST A VERY SMALL AMOUNT.I FEEL THAT I HAVE NO REAL RIGHTS TO HAVE THE DOCTOR PRESCRIBE MARIJUANA FOR ME BE CAUSE IT IS THE ONLY ALL ROUND DRUG THAT HELPS ME WITH NUMERROUS CONDITIONS,BUYING THIS DRUG ON THE STREET.IS DANGEROUS AND A RIP OFF BECAUSE STREET DEALERS ARE OUT FOR YOUR MONEY AND NOTHING ELSE.OUR GOVERNMENT COULD FIX THIS PROBLEM IF THEY WANTED TO,BUT THE OLDER PEOPLE STILL BELIEVE THE OLD TALES STARTED WAY BACK ABOUT IT.IT IS ALL ABOUT WHOSE HANDS OR POCKETS THAT WILL BE GREASED WITH MONEY.WAKE UP AND REALIZE IT IS TIME TO STOP THE VIOLENCE AND THE IMPORTING FROM OTHER COUNTRIES.LET THE DOCTORS DECIDE WHO SHOULD HAVE IT AND LICENSE THEM TO GROW THEIR OWN.IT CAN BE DONE IT’S BEEN DONE WITH THE KILLER TOBACCO,ALCOHOL.PEOPLE SHOULD HAVE THE CHOICE TO USE IT FOR TREATMENT.LEGALIZE IT AND STOP THE IMPORTING.SPEND THE TAX MONEY OF THE U.S.A ON DRUGS THAT ARE DISTRYING PEOPLES LIVES,PERVERTS, MURDERERS AND SO MANY MORE PROBLEMS THAT NEED ATTENTION.MY GOD WHERE ARE THE THE BRAINS OF THE POLITIONS. OH,I REMEMBER ON MAKING THENSELVES MORE MONEY.ANYWAY THAT’S HOW I FEEL ABOUT IT.I HOPE SOMEONE WILL LET PEOPLE READ MY OPINION.
Corker not only seems to think he’s qualified to make a decision on drug scheduling, he also thinks the Senate schedules drugs. This is a responsibility that was delegated to the DEA, FBI, DHHS, and the FDA by the Controlled Substances Act.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Controlled_Substances_Act
It’s evident that Corker hasn’t thought through his position very well. MMJ Patient protection has little to do with drug scheduling arguments and everything to do with the concept of Federalism and the 10th Amendment. “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”
I don’t understand how anyone can read the F-ing Constitution (GWB’s words) and not understand that the US government has no right or authority to undermine state law on medical marijuana. Not only does it not have the authority to override state law. According to the F-ing Constitution, the US government doesn’t have the authority to regulate marijuana AT ALL.
It seems as if Sen Corker is caught between his own personal views and his party’s liberal views.