RON PAUL, BARNEY FRANK TEAM UP TO LEGALIZE MARIJUANA

Here's one of the strangest pairings of late in Congress: Reps. Ron Paul
and Barney Frank are teaming up today on legislation to legalize marijuana.

The legislation by Paul, a libertarian-thinking Texas Republican
running for president, and Frank, a liberal Massachusetts Democrat, is
being touted by the advocacy group Marijuana Policy Project (MPP).

The bill to be introduced by Frank and Paul would allow states to
"legalize, regulate, tax and control marijuana without federal
interference."

California voters last year rejected Proposition 19, which would have
allowed marijuana to be sold for recreational use. Voters in Colorado
and Washington state could vote on the issue this year.

The Marijuana Policy Project, however, highlights that 46.5% of
Californians voted for Proposition 19. It also cites a report released
earlier this month by the Global Commission on Drug Policy that
slammed the decades-old war on drugs and called on governments to take
a look at decriminalizing marijuana and other drugs.

The bill by Frank and Paul would "end state/federal conflicts over
marijuana policy, re-prioritize federal resources, and provide more
room for states to do what is best for their own citizens," the group
says.

MPP says the bill will also be sponsored Democratic Reps. John Conyers
of Michigan, Steve Cohen of Tennessee, Jared Polis of Colorado and
Barbara Lee of California.