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)

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A growing chorus of lawmakers is openly calling for the legalization of marijuana as a measure to stop the escalating violence along U.S.-Mexico border.

The legislators who have endorsed legalization are Reps. Loretta Sanchez (D-Calif.), Jim McDermott (D-Wash.), Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.), and Ron Paul (R-Texas).

However, the chances of legalization occurring soon seem slim.

“I think that there has been an honest, very honest, sincere attempt to win the drug war, and that it is not a winnable war,” Rohrabacher said. “I don’t think there is anything more they can do to try to make the drug war work.”

McDermott said, “Clearly, people all over the country are using marijuana. We have filled our prisons at enormous costs…and we have no money for education.”

He added, “We spend more, and more, more money in [the Drug Enforcement Administration], and rounding up people, and spraying fields, and all this stuff. And, from a social policy, I don’t see any reason not to legalize it, control it, sell it, [and] tax it.”

No legislation seeking to legalize marijuana has been introduced in the 111th Congress. Rohrabacher said politicians are concerned about the potential political fallout if they spoke out in favor of legalization.

“There are a lot of people who understand that [the current war on drugs has been a failure], but they are afraid to politically say so,” Rohrabacher said. “If it was a vote – a blind vote where nobody knew who was voting – you would have overwhelming support for legalizing marijuana out there, but they will never vote for it because they are afraid of taking on a controversial issue.”

Ah, yes, which one of you will be brave enough to put the bell on the cat, eh?  Until individual lawmakers start losing their jobs for their shameful votes on marijuana policy, prohibition is here to stay.  Do you really think Barack Obama isn’t smart enough to recognize the drug war is a failure (he said it himself) and legalization of marijuana is a respectable policy solution?

Of course he is smart enough and so are many, if not the majority of men and women in Congress.  But “right policy for the country” and “vote that will lose my job from an attack ad” are two different things (”Rep. Stoner voted to make marijuana legal, even as Mexican drug lords are beheading innocent people over pot! He thinks your kids should grow up in a world of legal pot, even as more teens go to hospital emergency rooms for pot than any other drug! Rep. Stoner’s drug-friendly votes aren’t what the good, God-fearing people of Springfield want for representation in Congress!  Paid for by the committee to elect Harry J. Anslinger IV.”)

Marijuana legalization will have to happen the way prohibition began: at the state and local level, until enough states force the federal government into recognition of the issue.

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• Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) on Marijuana Legalization (3)