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House to Vote on Medical Marijuana Amendment as Newest State Law Takes Effect, Raids Escalate
Research Reveals New Evidence of Marijuana's Medical Value
7-23-'07 | Marijuana Policy Project

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. House of Representatives will vote — possibly as soon as Wednesday, July 25 — on an amendment to prohibit the U.S. Department of Justice from interfering with state medical marijuana laws. The vote comes amid a burst of activity on the medical marijuana front, including positive actions by several state legislatures, escalating DEA attacks on medical marijuana providers, and new research both affirming marijuana's medical benefits and debunking a key claim made by opponents.

The amendment, known as the Hinchey-Rohrabacher amendment — after Congressmen Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) and Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) — received a record 163 votes last year, when only 11 state medical marijuana laws were in effect.

New Mexico's medical marijuana law, the twelfth, took effect July 1, and as of July 20 the state program had already received 22 applications from patients and approved six. On June 21, Rhode Island made its law permanent, with both legislative chambers overwhelmingly overriding a veto of the measure by Republican Gov. Donald Carcieri. Three weeks prior, Vermont approved a major expansion of its medical marijuana law, adding to the list of qualifying conditions and increasing the amount of marijuana patients may possess.

Meanwhile, the Drug Enforcement Administration has stepped up its attacks on medical marijuana patients and providers in California, threatening what the Los Angeles Times called a "deplorable new bullying tactic" — asset forfeiture against landlords who rent space to medical marijuana providers.

Since last year's House floor vote, new scientific studies have been published documenting medical marijuana's benefits for patients with HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C, while a just-published study from Texas A&M University debunked claims that medical marijuana laws increase marijuana use generally.

"Scientific facts and public opinion are overwhelmingly on our side," said Rob Kampia, executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project in Washington, D.C. "If members of Congress are listening, they'll end the DEA's attacks on medical marijuana patients, and if Congress doesn't, voters will want to know why."

With more than 23,000 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 www.MarijuanaPolicy.org.

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