Congressional letter to Obama criticizing MMJ Crackdown

Washington, DC Oct 28th -  Rep. Sam Farr (D-CA) and several 

colleagues have sent a letter to President Obama expressing their 

concern about the recent DOJ crackdown on MMJ and calling for 

rescheduling or legislation to change federal policy.  The letter is 

co-signed by Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), Bob Filner (D-CA), Lynn 

Woolsey (D-CA), Jared Polis (D-CO), Steve Cohen (D-TN), Pete Stark (D-

CA), Barbara Lee (D-CA) and Mike Thompson (D-CA)

 

The letter concludes, "Medical cannabis has been and continues to 

be recommended by physicians to alleviate a  number of serious 

illnesses and medical conditions.. .During your presidential campaign, 

you repeatedly pledged to end federal raids against the individuals 

and collectives authorized by state law to use or provide medical 

cannabis, giving hope to patients who legitimately use medical 

cannabis to treat their conditions that their long struggle to safely 

access their medicine was finally over.  By pursuing the same harsh 

policies that have been in place for years, we fear the federal 

government will push legitimate patients back into the uncertainty and 

danger of the illicit market.

 

"For these reasons, it is more urgent now than ever to reschedule 

marijuana as a legitimate controlled substance for medical purposes.  

Classifying marijuana as a Schedule II or III drug will have the 

effect of harmonizing federal law with the laws for several states, 

such as California.  No longer should the federal government's laws 

supersede the wishes of local citizens who have decided that their 

fellow neighbors ought to have the right to legitimately use medical 

marijuana...

 

"We respectfully request that your administration reschedule 

marijuana as a Schedule II or III drug administratively, or publicly 

support the adoption of legislation that would change federal statues 

to achieve this same goal.  One such proposal, HR 1983, the States' 

Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act, which was introduced by 

Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) earlier this year, would do just 

this.  Changing federal marijuana policy through legitimate 

administrative channels or Congressional action will give countless 

patients and their physicians the respect they deserve and will clear 

up any ambiguity as what the legitimate role of the federal government 

in this arena."