Report: Congress To Consider End Of Marijuana Ban

For the first time, Congress may consider a measure to remove federal penalties for possession and use of marijuana, a news agency reported late Wednesday.

In a dispatch from Washington, AFP, the French news agency, said Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) and Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA), lawmakers from opposite ends of the political spectrum, plan to introduce the legalization bill sometime today. AFP based its report on comments from unnamed officials in organizations promoting the legalization of the drug.

According to the report, the sweeping bi-partisan bill would limit the federal government's role to stopping smuggling. People would be free to grow and use marijuana in states that choose to legalize it.

Controlled substance

It would effectively end the federal sanction against cannabis, which is outlawed under the Controlled Substances Act. Prior to the federal prohibition, a number of states outlawed the drug in the early 20th century.

Ironically, it has been states in recent years that have been inching toward legalization. Fifteen states now have medical marijuana laws, making it legal for health care professionals to prescribe marijuana for treatment.

However, recreational use of marijuana, which gained widespread popularity among Baby Boomers during the 1960s and 70s, remains outlawed. The AFP report mentioned no specific details of the expected bill.

State by state efforts

Meanwhile, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) reports A coalition that includes former U.S. Attorney John McKay, Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes and travel guide Rick Steves is launching an initiative that would legalize marijuana in Washington state.

The group, led by the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington, reportedly decided to push the initiative after Gov. Chris Gregoire vetoed most of a medical-marijuana bill that had passed the state Legislature.

The initiative would regulate the recreational use of marijuana in a way similar to how the state regulates alcohol.

It would legalize marijuana for people older than 21, authorize the state Liquor Control Board to regulate and tax marijuana for sale in “stand-alone stores” and extend drunken-driving laws to marijuana, with blood tests to determine how much of the substance’s active ingredient is present in a driver’s blood.