GRASSLEY PROPOSING LIMITS TO FEDERAL DRUG STUDY

Voting Delay Leaves More Time for Potential Changes to Bill.

In the eyes of Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., the statistics are staggering.
The United States houses 25 percent of the world's prison population,
with just 5 percent of the world population. And in less than 30
years, drug offenders in prison have increased 1,200 percent.

To study why that is, and perhaps change those facts and figures,
Webb proposed a National Criminal Justice Commission. The
legislation, which has 34 cosponsors from senators on both sides of
the aisle, was sent to the Senate Judiciary Committee, which was
expected to vote on it Thursday. Instead, the bill but was held over
for future consideration.

The delay will give Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, more time to
consider which, if any, amendments to offer to the proposed legislation.

During a conference call with reporters last week, Grassley, who is a
member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and co-chairman of the
international narcotics control caucus, said he had circulated
several amendments with the intention of offering a couple of them.

While Grassley said an amendment to prohibit the commission from
studying the legalization or decriminalization of drugs was not one
he planned to offer, it has earned the ire of the blogosphere,
including the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws
and Law Enforcement Against Prohibition.

"Well, my intent on that amendment isn't any different than any other
amendments that are coming up," Grassley said. "The Congress is
setting up a commission to study certain things, and the commission
is an arm of Congress ... and the point is for them to do what we
tell them to do.

"And one of the things I was anticipating telling them not to do is
to recommend or study the legalization of drugs."

Grassley said the prohibition would include the decriminalization of
marijuana for medical purposes, something the Iowa Legislature could
consider during its 2010 session after an interim committee studied the issue.

"I see the drive toward legalization of marijuana as being a cover
for the distribution of marijuana illegally, other than for medical
purposes," Grassley said previously.

According to a floor statement from Webb on last week -- prior to the
expected committee vote -- one of the seven tasks the committee is
meant to consider is specifically a "review of our drug policy and
its impact on incarceration, crime and sentencing."

The commission's other tasks include studying why the incarceration
rates have increased; determining costs of prison policies at all
governmental levels; identify the impact of drug activities; and
examine policies as they relate to mentally ill. According to Webb's
Web site, four times as many mentally ill people are in prisons than
in mental health hospitals.

Grassley said, however, the commission's scope of study can be
whatever Congress decides it should be. He said the commission's
results and recommendations could be the basis for future legislation.

Iowa's senior senator has long been a champion of anti-drug laws.
According to Grassley's Web site, "For the past decade, I've used my
leadership positions ... to advance public policy that curbs
trafficking, production and consumption of illegal drugs, beefs up
enforcement and promotes effective treatment and prevention methods."