Federal Medical Marijuana Bill Defeated

I don't wish that anyone would have to watch a loved go through the pain of treatment but if those who voted against this bill had to do just that I believe it would change their attitude. I don't see how anyone can vote against marijuana as medication when the most widely abused drugs these days are prescription medications.

The House of Representatives Wednesday night voted down the Hinchey-Rohrabacher amendment to the Justice-Commerce-Science appropriations bill. The amendment would have barred the Justice Department from using federal funds to target medical marijuana patients and providers in the 12 states where it iscurrently legal

The vote came only hours after DEA agents upped the ante in its battle against medical marijuana in California by raiding 10 dispensaries in the Los Angeles area. And it came only a few days after the DEA opened a new battlefront in its war by sending letters to dispensary landlords threatening them with seizure of their properties or even criminal charges if they continue to rent to dispensaries. (See feature story this issue here).

The vote also came after spirited debate on the House floor. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) related an emotional story about a close friend, a Navy SEAL, who died of pancreatic cancer, but used medical marijuana in his final months to ease his suffering. (Rep. Cohen distributed an email Thursday linking to a YouTube copy of his speech.)

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), a cosponsor of the amendment, hit a similar note talking about the cancer deaths of his mother and brother. "If marijuana would have helped them, it would have been a horrible thing to think that federal agents would have come in and interfered with that, if their doctor had recommended it," he said

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