Two Bills Just Introduced To Congress Will Federally Legalize Cannabis In The US

[wildbilln864]

"Friday, February 20th marked an interesting moment in the case for cannabis legalization – U.S. Representatives Jared Polis (D-CO) and Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) introduced two separate bills in Congress to legalize adult-use marijuana at the federal level.

The first bill, ‘The Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Act‘, was submitted by Polis, and would act as a safety net for any state wishing to legalize cannabis, meaning they would no longer have to worry about intervention at the Federal level.

The second bill with the same name would tax cannabis at the Federal level, on top of any state/local taxes.

In what seems like a fast moving cascade for the cannabis legislation movement, four states have already legalized marijuana use for adults over 21 (Colorado, Washington, Alaska and Oregon), and 23 states (and Washington DC) allow medical marijuana use."
http://www.collective-evolution.com/2015/02/23/two-bills-just-introduced-to-congress-will-federally-legalize-cannabis-in-the-us/

[WDIM]

1. will be interesting to watch

But i doubt the bills will make it out of committee with the "small government" repugnicans in charge of congress.

The legalization of this simple plant could be huge for our economy and our state and federal budgets.

[Agnosticsherbet]

2. Now, let us see what Republicans do with these bills.

[B Calm]

3. Boner will never allow a vote on it.

[wildbilln864]

4. exactly!

many industries would lose billions if cannabis is legal across the US.

[annabanana]

5. yeah.. mostly the prison industry. . .n/t

[blm]

11. and Boehner's friends in the alcohol industry

; )

[excringency]

12. I don't know,

maybe if Boehner promised to double his booze intake it would offset any losses for the alcohol industry.

[blm]

14. heheh…I was talking about DC bartenders…..

; )

[Delmette]

15. it would pinch on the big three

Alcohol
tobacco
pharmaceutical

[Scuba]

17. Don't forget the private prison and drug war industries.

v

[Agnosticsherbet]

7. I agree with that.

I think it is important to keep it in the national dialog. I would like to see national legalization become an issue in 2016.

Disclaimer: Personally, I don't use it and never will unless my doctor prescribes it, but the war on Drugs has destroyed lives and wrecked nations, and it is time we ended it.

[kristopher]

8. I wouldn't bet on that

Two things:
He may not bring these particular bills up, but the libertarian wing of the GOP House is strongly in favor of legalizing MJ and they have a lot of clout right now.
Also, they need the youth vote desperately; so aside from just horse trading with the libertarians, the rest of the GOP Congress has a selfish incentive to go along.

[tdb63]

6. it would completely remove it from the drug schedule

It does more than provide a safety net, it completely removes it from the drug schedule and moves it to ATF to be regulated like alcohol. That's exactly what should happen, remove it from the list.

[mountain grammy]

9. That's my Congressman, Jared Polis.

He's introduced legislation like this every year since he was first elected in 2008.

[blm]

10. Two BIG THUMBS up!

.

[TRoN33]

13. Keep Monsanto and others off from this!

Don't fucking allow them to cultivate their own GMO shit and spread it out so they can own all of patents to cannabis. Keep it organic.

[PoliticAverse]

16. Good because until current federal law is replaced cannabis use is illegal in all 50 states.

[duhneece]

18. What amazing progress has been made for a rational approach

...to cannabis. Hopefully, our policy for all drug use will be reexamined through a public health lens instead of a draconian 'law and order' (in other words, punish and incarcerate) lens.

I am so happy about this and lgbt equality...when do we do the same with war, wages, taxation, etc?