WASHINGTON – February 5 – Members of Congress introduced bills Tuesday to end marijuana prohibition and start regulating and taxing marijuana like alcohol at the federal level.
Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO) introduced the Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2013, which would remove marijuana from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act and establish a system in which marijuana is regulated similarly to alcohol at the federal level. It would also remove marijuana from the jurisdiction of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and place it in the jurisdiction of a renamed Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Marijuana, Firearms, and Explosives.
Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) introduced the Marijuana Tax Equity Act, which would create a federal excise tax on the sale of marijuana similar to that imposed on the sale of alcohol. It would also require occupational taxes for those engaged in the industry.
“Marijuana prohibition has proven to be just as ineffective, wasteful, and problematic as alcohol prohibition,” said Steve Fox, director of government relations for the Marijuana Policy Project. “Regulating and taxing marijuana like alcohol will take marijuana sales away from cartels and the criminal market and put them in the hands of legitimate, tax-paying businesses.”
“Voters and elected officials nationwide are fed up with laws that criminalize adults simply for using a product that is objectively less harmful than alcohol,” Fox said.
In November, voters in Colorado and Washington State approved measures making marijuana legal for adults 21 and older and directing state regulatory bodies to create regulations for businesses to cultivate and sell marijuana to adults. Bills to regulate and tax marijuana like alcohol have been introduced this year in the Hawaii and New Hampshire state legislatures, and lawmakers in Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Vermont are expected to bring forward similar legislation.
A record high 58% of Americans think marijuana should be made legal, according to a survey conducted by Public Policy Polling from Nov. 30 to Dec. 2 of last year. A USA Today/Gallup poll released in December found that 63% of Americans believe the federal government should not interfere in the implementation of state marijuana laws such as those approved in Washington and Colorado.
In light of the growing momentum behind efforts to regulate marijuana like alcohol at the state and federal levels, the nation’s largest marijuana-policy-reform organization, the Marijuana Policy Project, has changed the name of its federal political action committee from the “MPP Medical Marijuana PAC” to the “Marijuana Policy Project PAC.”
“The re-naming of our PAC reflects the new reality in Washington, D.C.,” Fox said. “Following the passage of the initiatives to regulate marijuana similarly to alcohol in Colorado and Washington last November, there is finally significant momentum in Congress behind ending marijuana prohibition across the board at the federal level.”
“The introduction of the two new bills this week is evidence of this philosophical shift,” Fox said. “While we are obviously still committed to protecting medical marijuana patients and providers, our PAC’s new name reflects our broader mission in Congress. The end of marijuana prohibition is coming, and we plan to support elected officials and candidates who favor the repeal of this unfair, irrational, and wasteful policy.”
With more than 26,000 members and 100,000 e-mail subscribers nationwide, the Marijuana Policy Project is the largest marijuana policy reform organization in the United States. MPP believes that the best way to minimize the harm associated with marijuana is to regulate marijuana in a manner similar to alcohol. For more information, please visit http://MarijuanaPolicy.org.
CONTACT: Marijuana Policy Project
Morgan Fox
Communications Manager
Marijuana Policy Project
Office: (202) 905-2031
mfox@mpp.org
What about Hemp? We are going to need lots of Hemp Rope when the time comes!
I bet they never thought of that – like they would like to think of that LOL.
Hoping to see a massive gallows complex erected on the National Mall for ‘mass processing’ of the talmudists and every last ‘enemy alien fifth columnist’.
Our Founding Fathers knew how valuable Hemp was and proposed that everyone grow it who was able!
But Hearst had enough money to pay off Congressfolks and help make it illegal in the 30’s or we wouldn’t be wasting Congress’s time on this!
I’ve read quite a bit about how many products can be made with Hemp. Something like 29,000 products, but I bet it would be a lot more once it was being used for industrial and commercially everywhere. This is where American inventiveness would shine. Heck, I have a RAW Rolling machine made out of Hemp Plastic, and people can’t believe it is made from Hemp. Of course, I only roll cigarettes with it. Not to mention, I use Raw Organic Hemp papers. Oh yeah, I almost forgot… I take Hemp Powder and MSM, also. Haven’t been healthier!
I’m betting the agribusiness giants like ADM, ConAgra and Monsanto already have the genetic patents on file with the USDA. Legalise it, tax it, oh yeah and you’ve infringed on our patents by growing it on your own.
It grows wild in EVERY State so infringement would be unlikely.
Check out U S Patent 6630507