Posted on 06/16/2005 10:18:39 AM PDT by SmithL
WASHINGTON - A week after the Supreme Court ruled that medical marijuana laws in California and nine other states are no bar to federal drug prosecution, the House voted down an amendment that would have stopped the Justice Department from bringing such cases.
Although medical marijuana advocates never thought they would have the votes to bar federal prosecutions, some had predicted that because of the heightened interest after the Supreme Court's ruling that they would do better than Wednesday's 264-161 vote.
Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., said Tuesday that House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco had been working the issue hard among Democrats and that he felt certain that there would be 180 or more votes for the amendment to a 2006 Justice Department funding bill.
Still, there was some comfort in Wednesday's vote for medical marijuana advocates. Since 2003, when the chamber took its first vote to bar spending money on federal prosecution of medical marijuana users, the number of members saying no to that idea has dropped by 11.
"We pick up votes each time as we continue to educate the public," said Steve Fox, communications director for the Marijuana Policy Project. "This is just a matter of time."
Among California's House members, 35 of the state's 53 representatives supported the amendment - roughly the same division as in earlier votes. Rep. Christopher Cox, R-Newport Beach, did not vote.
Sacramento-area congressional members reflect that stasis. The two new members since the last vote a year ago - Reps. Dan Lungren, R-Gold River, and Doris Matsui, D-Sacramento - voted like their predecessors.
(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...
Overruling the will of the people..... It's called ''tyranny''.
"Overruling the will of the people..... It's called ''tyranny''."
It's what the Federal government does. It's all they are good at.
Taxes are tyrannical :)
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