Dear Member of Congress,
We urge you to protect public safety, federalism and fiscal restraint by voting for the Hinchey-Rohrabacher amendment to the Science-State-Justice-Commerce Appropriations bill. That amendment would prohibit the U.S. Justice Department from wasting taxpayer money undermining state medical marijuana laws. While we are taking no position on these laws or "medical marijuana" in general, we believe states have a right to determine their own health care policies. The federal government certainly should not waste taxpayer money undermining them.
In recent years almost a dozen states have enacted laws allowing people to use marijuana with a doctor’s recommendation. While federal marijuana law contains no medical exception, federal law enforcement agencies have the authority to prioritize resources in favor of fighting terrorism and violent crime. They have not always done so, however.
For instance, not even a month after 9/11 dozens of DEA agents raided and closed a Los Angeles hospice that provided marijuana to almost 1,000 patients with AIDS, cancer, and other terminal illnesses. The hospice was legal under state law and operated with the support of local elected officials and law enforcement officers. Several months later, on the same day that the Justice Department asked law enforcement agencies to be on the highest possible alert for impending terrorist attacks, dozens of DEA agents made numerous medical marijuana-related arrests throughout the State of California. Only a legal challenge stopped further raids.
Now that the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that the federal government has the authority to arrest and prosecute people for medical marijuana even in states where it is legal, the Justice Department is free to continue wasting resources undermining state medical marijuana laws. This would waste taxpayer money and threaten public safety. Congress needs to send a clear signal to federal bureaucrats that there are higher priorities than busting cancer and AIDS patients.
The Hinchey-Rohrabacher amendment would not prevent the Justice Department from prosecuting people for using or selling marijuana for recreational use. Nor would it prevent the Justice Department from prosecuting patients who use marijuana in states where it is illegal. It only prevents the federal government from arresting people for medical marijuana in states where voters or legislators have made it legal.
At a time when both terrorism and violent drug cartels threaten our nation, we simply cannot afford to waste scarce law enforcement resources. With this vote Congress has an opportunity to both protect public safety and reduce federal spending.
Sincerely,
Council for Citizens Against Government Waste
Citizen Outreach
National Lawyers Guild
Republican Liberty Caucus
