A HUMANE OPPORTUNITY

Congress Should Pass the Hinchey-Rohrabacher Amendment on Medical
Marijuana

The Supreme Court decided last week that Congress had not overstepped
its legitimate powers when it passed the Controlled Substances Act and
prohibited the use of marijuana even for medicinal purposes.

In the majority opinion, however, you could almost hear the justices
pleading with Congress to change the law to something a bit more
rational and less onerous.

Early on, the high court noted that "[t]his case is made difficult by
respondents' [medical marijuana users Angel Raich and Diane
Monson]strong arguments that they will suffer irreparable harm
because, despite a congressional finding to the contrary, marijuana
does have valid therapeutic purposes."

The opinion closes on what sounds like a recommendation: "more
important than these legal avenues is the democratic process, in which
the voices of voters allied with these respondents may one day be
heard in the halls of Congress."

Today Congress has the chance to answer that plea for common
sense.

Reps. Maurice Hinchey, a New York Democrat, and Dana Rohrabacher, the
Huntington Beach Republican, plan to introduce a key amendment to the
Department of Justice appropriations bill. It would prohibit the
department from using any funds in its budget to prosecute people who
use marijuana medicinally in states that have passed medical marijuana
laws.

This is a responsible use of Congress' power of the purse to influence
policy, in this case in a direction approved by the vast majority of
all the constituents, Republican and Democrat alike, who elected these
House members.

Every national poll shows that between 60 percent and 75 percent of
Americans support allowing the medicinal use of marijuana.

The most recent Mason-Dixon poll showed 68 percent of voters believe
medical marijuana patients should not be arrested.

Congress should show its respect for sound science and the considered
wishes of voters and legislators in 11 states by passing the
Hinchey-Rohrabacher amendment.