A bill introduced in the U.S. Senate to combat “ecstasy” (MDMA) trafficking, distribution and use also contains language banning the dissemination of information on marijuana and other controlled substances.
Much like the pending anti-methamphetamine bill (S.486/HR.2987), this anti-ecstasy legislation, Senate Bill 2612, makes it a felony to “teach or demonstrate the manufacture of controlled substance or to distribute by any means information pertaining to, in whole or in part, the manufacture, acquisition, or use of a controlled substance, with the intent that the teaching, demonstration, or information be used for, or in furtherance of, an activity that constitutes a crime.”
The bill, introduced by Sen. Bill Graham (D-FL) and co-sponsored by Sens. Charles Grassley (R-IA), Craig Thomas (R-WY), Joe Biden (D-DE) and Evan Bayh (D-IN), calls for fines and up to 10 years in prison for violators.
“This bill, like the anti-meth bill, is a clear infringement of the First Amendment,” said Keith Stroup, NORML Executive Director. “It would make it a 10-year felony for someone to help a seriously ill patient cultivate marijuana for medicine, even in those states in which medical marijuana is legal under state law. This is just the latest example of the excesses of the war on drugs.”
For more information, please contact Keith Stroup, NORML Executive Director at (202) 483-5500.
