Rep. Mark Souder (R-IN) introduced legislation in Congress (HR 4802) last Thursday seeking to override state laws legalizing marijuana for medical purposes.
Souder says the federal prohibition of marijuana should take precedence over state laws in Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Maine, Oregon and Washington that legalized marijuana for medical purposes. But not all federal laws preempt state law, and Congress would have to specifically declare its intention to preempt the field, which it has not done.
“It would do enormous damage to our democratic principles were Congress to overrule the state elections approving the medical use of marijuana in six states,” said Keith Stroup, NORML Executive Director.
Souder has called the push for legalized medical marijuana “a phony excuse to be a pot head” and has called the push for medical marijuana a “repulsive effort to legalize drugs in the name of sick people.”
“Legislation such as Rep. Souder’s proposal suggests that he and the Republican leadership are more interested in demonstrating that they’re tough on drugs than establishing a compassionate program for the sick and dying.”
For more information, please contact Keith Stroup, NORML Executive Director at (202) 483-5500.
