Pot Legalization Bill Reaches House Floor
June 28th, 2011
The War on Drugs may be a failure, but this plant is still banned.
Are the days of smoking pot in fear of arrest coming to an end?
After a report by the Global Commission on Drug Policy stated that the international War on Drugs has failed, Representatives Barney Frank (D-MA) and Ron Paul (R-TX) have sponsored a bill that would end the federal prohibition on marijuana, and leave the decision of legalization to the states. The bill would also reduce Washington’s role in the War on Drugs to combatting organized crime and illegal smuggling, rather than individual possession offenses. Rep. Frank supports marijuana laws moving to the states, stating that “prosecuting responsible adults who make the decision …to smoke marijuana interferes with their personal freedom,” and likened this proposed piece of legislation to the 21st Amendment that repealed federal alcohol prohibition. However, due to the large number of pot prohibitionists in Congress, Rep. Frank admitted that the bill has “no chance of passing” but introducing the piece will help the “educational process” of marijuana laws within government, and lead to change down the road.
In 2019, our rebels are allowed to smoke marijuana legally, one of the few personal freedoms afforded to the citizens during an era of unprecedented federal control over the economy and people’s lives. The framework for marijuana freedom may’ve been laid out this week, but there is still a long road ahead before it becomes accepted by the greater legislative community, and we’ll follow its progress every step of the way.
