Late last night the House of Representatives approved an amendment 219 to 189 which would prohibit the Justice Department from conducting raids on medical marijuana facilities in states that allow medical marijuana. The measure would still have to pass the Senate and be signed by President Obama, but this is a good first step for health freedom and state sovereignty. From Reason Magazine:
Similar meaures have failed in the House six times since 2003. This year the amendment attracted record support from Republicans, 49 of whom voted yes, compared to 28 last time around. "This measure passed because it received more support from Republicans than ever before," says Dan Riffle of the Marijuana Policy Project. "It is refreshing to see conservatives in Congress sticking to their conservative principles when it comes to marijuana policy. Republicans increasingly recognize that marijuana prohibition is a failed Big Government program that infringes on states' rights." Before the vote, Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform, and Ethan Nadelmann, executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance, argued in Politico that it "ought to be an easy 'yes' vote for members of the 10th Amendment Task Force on Capitol Hill and other believers in limited government and federalism."
Find out how your Representative voted here.
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PDFTags: DEA, Medical Marijuana