Washington, DC: Massachusetts Democrat Barney Frank, along with co-sponsor Texas Republican Ron Paul, reintroduced legislation today to enact legal protections for state-authorized medical marijuana patients.
The Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act of 2009, would ensure that medical cannabis patients in states that have approved its use will no longer have to fear arrest or prosecution from federal law enforcement agencies.
Thirteen states – Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington – have enacted laws protecting medical marijuana patients from state prosecution. Yet in all of these states patients and providers still face the risk of federal sanction – even when their actions are fully compliant with state law.
Commenting on the bill, NORML Executive Director Allen St. Pierre said: “This legislation 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. These citizens and representatives, as well as patients and lawmakers from additional states that seek to regulate the controlled use of medicinal marijuana, should be allowed to act in a manner that is free from federal interference.”
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.
Passage of the Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act would ensure that medical cannabis patients or providers who are compliant with state law, such as Charles Lynch (who was sentenced today in federal court), would no longer have to fear arrest and prosecution from federal law enforcement agencies.
While campaigning for the presidency, Barack Obama pledged not to use Justice Department resources “to try and circumvent state (medical marijuana) laws.” Nevertheless, agents from the US Drug Enforcement Administration have continued to target medical marijuana providers in states that allow for the drug’s use.
For more information, please contact Allen St. Pierre, NORML Executive Director, at (202) 483-5500. Additional information about the Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act of 2009 is available at NORML’s Take Action Center at: http://capwiz.com/norml2/issues/.