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?

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Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act H.R.2835 was introduced June 11, 2009 by Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) along with Mr. Blumenauer, Mr. Farr, Mr. McDermott, Mr. Paul, Ms. Woolsey, Mr. Rohrabacher, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. Thompson of California, Mr. George Miller of California, Mr. Stark, Mr. Hinchey, Mr. Olver, and Ms. Baldwin

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?c111:1:./temp/~c111WNKdlj::

Along with Personal Use of Marijuana by Responsible Adults Act of 2009 H.R.2943 was introduced June 18, 2009 by Rep. Barney Frank along with Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Paul, Mr. Rohrabacher, and Mr. Hinchey

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?c111:2:./temp/~c111gyz2zY::

Congressman Barney Frank is author of the States’ Rights to Medical Marijuana Act (H.R. 2592), an attempt to stop federal government from intervening with states’ medical marijuana laws. He has consistently voted for the bipartisan Hinchey-Rohrabacher amendment, annually proposed by Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) and Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), that would prohibit the United States Department of Justice from prosecuting medical marijuana patients.

In March 2008, he proposed the Personal Use of Marijuana by Responsible Adults Act of 2008 (HR 5843), which would decriminalize small amounts for personal use of the drug. Congressman Brank Frank commented on legislation to remove federal criminal penalties for possession of small amounts of marijuana for personal use stated “In a free society a large degree of human activity is none of the government’s business. We should make criminal what’s going to hurt other people and others than that we should leave it to people to make their own choices.”

Cosponsors [as of July 16, 2009]
Rep. Tammy Baldwin [D-WI]
Rep. Earl Blumenauer [D-OR]
Rep. Steve Cohen [D-TN]
Rep. Peter DeFazio [D-OR]
Rep. Keith Ellison [D-MN]
Rep. Sam Farr [D-CA]
Rep. Bob Filner [D-CA]
Rep. Raul Grijalva [D-AZ]
Rep. Maurice Hinchey [D-NY]
Rep. Michael Honda [D-CA]
Rep. Dennis Kucinich [D-OH]
Rep. James McDermott [D-WA]
Rep. James McGovern [D-MA]
Rep. George Miller [D-CA]
Rep. James Moran [D-VA]
Rep. John Olver [D-MA]
Rep. Ronald Paul [R-TX]
Rep. Jared Polis [D-CO]
Rep. Dana Rohrabacher [R-CA]
Rep. Steven Rothman [D-NJ]
Rep. Fortney Stark [D-CA]
Rep. Michael Thompson [D-CA]
Rep. Robert Wexler [D-FL]
Rep. Lynn Woolsey [D-CA]

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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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