cannabisnews.com: Barney Frank: My Pot Bill Lives Barney Frank: My Pot Bill Lives Posted by CN Staff on April 03, 2008 at 05:25:22 PT By Barney Frank Source: Providence Journal Providence, RI -- I agree with the editorial in favor of changing the federal law in order to protect patients in states that have permitted marijuana for medical use. However, in your article on Feb. 14, titled “Marijuana quandary,” you have one important omission in regard to the existence of national legislation. I have in fact introduced that very legislation in every year since 1997. The States’ Rights to Medical Marijuana Act would give effect to decisions made by the states to prescribe marijuana when, in the physicians’ medical judgment, it is an appropriate treatment. This bill would allow states, by their appropriate decision-making processes and without fear of federal interference, to decide if they wish to let physicians practicing medicine in those states add marijuana to the long list of substances they can prescribe when they believe it to be medically indicated. Furthermore, my bill would put a stop to federal raids and criminal penalties on patients who are following state law by eliminating federal penalties related to the medical use of marijuana in states where the activity has been approved by the legislature or the people (through the referendum or initiative process).The new version of the States’ Right to Medical Marijuana Act will be introduced soon. Unfortunately, no action has ever been taken on my bill beyond the committee referral process, largely because of political fear on the part of my colleagues. Your readers might also be interested in knowing that bipartisan amendments have been introduced by my colleagues, Representatives Maurice D. Hinchey (D.-N.Y.) and Dana Rohrabacher (R.-Calif.) every year since 2003 to preclude the use of federal funding to prosecute medical-marijuana patients by the Department of Justice. Each time the amendment has been voted on, it has failed in the House. I have consistently supported it.Beyond myself as the sponsor of the states’ rights bill, and Representatives Hinchey and Rohrabacher, there are a number of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, like Representative Ron Paul (R.-Texas) and Rep. Sam Farr (D.-Calif.), among others, who have also “mustered the fortitude” to be voices for these initiatives. With more editorial support such as yours, we may win. Barney FrankWashingtonThe writer is a Massachusetts congressman. Source: Providence Journal, The (RI)Author: Barney FrankPublished: Thursday, April 3, 2008Copyright: 2008 The Providence Journal CompanyContact: letters projo.comWebsite: http://www.projo.com/Related Article:Marijuana Quandaryhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread23683.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #6 posted by whig on April 05, 2008 at 11:40:50 PT Richard Zuckerman Do you know that you are a racist? [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by Richard Zuckerman on April 04, 2008 at 11:07:28 PT: MY CONVERSATION WITH BARNEY FRANK'S OFFICE Yesterday, I spoke with a gentleman from Congressman Barney Frank's office, (toll free)(866) 340-9281. The staff member said that there will be a House Bill number after the 100 grams Cannabis decriminalization House Bill is submitted. He said the same in regards to the annual State's Rights to Medical Marihuana Bill. I told him I support the med pot Bills, that in the past I mailed a copy of H.R. 432, sponsored by then-Congressman Ed Koch, dated in 1973, a U.S. Senate Bill sponsored by Senator Kastenmeier (phonetic last name), dated in 1973, and a U.S. Senate Bill sponsored by Senator Jacob Javits, dated in 1973. One of the Bills submitted in 1973, perhaps one of these two aforementioned U.S. Senators, would have legalized Marihuana possession in our own home! I told Congressman Barney Frank's staff member about the medical Marihuana Bills in the New Jersey Legislature and the recent e-mail I received from www.drugpolicy.org indicating that more New Jersey State Senators have joined on in support of the New Jersey State Senate medical Marihuana Bill.Yesterday afternoon, I spoke with a woman from www.votenader.org, who told me she began learning about "Free Trade Agreements" when H. Ross Perot was running for U.S. President, but nobody listened to her warnings. She told me that Americans did not begin to awaken to the problem of "Free Trade Agreements" until the World Trade Organization appeared in Seattle, Washington, and the people protested amidst police presence. She said Ralph Nader would end these unfair "Free Trade Agreements"!! I plan to vote for Ralph Nader, again! I believe Hillary Clinton and Obama promised to "review" the "Free Trade Agreements", but this is not enough for me! I will vote for Ralph Nader, despite the cries of "spoiler" by some people who claim that as a result of the split in votes that John McCain will be voted in as U.S. President. I'm voting on my conscience, not out of fear.Keep in mind that despite your love for Obama, he has a secret agreement with Oprah Winfrey that in the event he is elected United States President he would appoint Oprah Winfrey as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, she would have free reign to the White House Lincoln Bedroom, and she would be entitled to White House wedding if she patches up her relationship with Stedman Graham. Obama was a co-sponsor of The Mother's Act which would require counseling women who recently gave birth to take a particular pharmaceutical medication to prevent postpartum depression. One recent gossip newspaper article describes Reverend Wright, of whom Obama has only recently distanced himself from, as having been affiliated with a Black nationalist who believes in killing all of the White people. Let's not forget Reverend Louis Farrakhan believes Blacks must "kill all of the Jews"! Apparently, Al Gore would be a prominent official if Obama is elected U.S. President. I question whether the extent of global warming caused by man warrants the energy restrictions recommended by followers of Al Gore, even if has received the Nobel Prize!!! I doubt there is any candidate for U.S. President who would open the doors wider for alternative sources of energy than Ralph Nader!Let us not forget that John McCain is a member of the Council On Foreign Relations. Obama's wife is a member of the Council On Foreign Relations. Hillary Clinton is a Bilderberg. Apparently, the Council On Foreign Relations and Bilderbergs want to inundate this country with illegal aliens, give them amnesty, eliminate our international borders, repeal the State and Federal Constitutions, for a one world goverment under the United Nations, change our monetary currency to the "Amero", and make us all live in poverty and slavery, BY THE YEAR 2010, only two years from now!! I will not contribute to uninformed voting. I would expect you would learn from experience about voting for Democrats and Republicans! Those of us who do not learn the lessons of history are bound to repeat them! Ralph Nader is my choice, even if I am only part of 1% of the people who vote for him! Ralph Nader is the only credible candidate for U.S. President.Please contact your U.S. Senators and Congress members for support of the SAVE Act, which would man the U.S. Borders more and punish employers of illegal aliens. www.amren.com has a few recent articles stating Sweden and a few other countries are having second thoughts about the uncontrolled immigration they are enduring, some illegal aliens from Mexico are going up into Canada and Europe for their employment because they are not getting the bang for their buck as the U.S. Dollar value is falling, and one particular City in Ottawa or Ontario, is enduring a massive influx of illegal aliens. What makes you think that a "North American Union" will benefit us if the "European Union" is facing massive unemployment, corruption, crime???!!! Environmental and economic sustainability problems from overpopulation by illegal aliens. An organization to which I belong, www.njcitizensforimmigrationcontrol.com, has a flyer on same web site, in the "events/announcements" category, about the rally scheduled for next month in Lakewood, New Jersey, against subsidizing illegal aliens.U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg is now up for re-election, but some of us believe we need a U.S. Senator who will support medical Marihuana, Marihuana decriminalization, oppose "Free Trade Agreements", and oppose subsidizing illegal aliens.Richard Paul Zuckerman, Post Office Box 159, Metuchen, New Jersey, 08840-0159, richardzuckerman2002 yahoo.com. [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by Sam Adams on April 03, 2008 at 11:24:27 PT Federal oppression The states will always look to feds to do the oppressing. Washington is far away from the people of most states. Look at medical marijuana. It's bound to be a difficult issue. We all know the many different vested interests that need cannabis to be illegal. It's a difficult thing for a leader to look sick people in the eye and deny their medicine - so why do it? Get someone 3000 miles away to do it for you. The don't NEED to do that stuff for violent crime, there's no moral conflict in locking up real criminals that hurt people.The first thing the politicians say in objection to state med MJ laws is "waaah! We can't go against federal law, can we!" Sorry, state politicians, being a proxy for evil is just as bad as the evil itself. You're evil people, and cowards as well. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by runruff on April 03, 2008 at 10:58:39 PT: States rights! It was someone right here at C/News that pointed out that states are left up to their own devices to deal with murder, rape, fraud, child molestation, ect.Why then does it take a 20-30 billoin dollar budget [depending on how you add it up] along with a federal para-military police force to to enforce a law against people choosing a plant for medicine?Fascist? Draconian? This is the very definition of these two terms! [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by augustwest on April 03, 2008 at 08:55:59 PT: Keep up the good fight Barney Frank, being gay, knows what its like to be persecuted because of somones elses ignorant prejudices. I wish him luck in righting these wrongs. Maybe if states rights are restored and perserved people in love and of the same sex can enjoy the benefits of marraige. Your a good man Barney Frank. kudos. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by dongenero on April 03, 2008 at 08:29:18 PT Go Barney Frank! Indeed, this man has big brass fortitudes. (To riff Colbert) [ Post Comment ] Post Comment