The Healthy Toker’s favorite congressman Barney Frank of Massachusetts announced on the Friday, May 1st Real Time with Bill Maher that he is planning on reintroducing his legislation that would remove federal penalties on marijuana.

The original HR5843 was introduced On April 17th of 2008 and has since been stalled in numerous sub committees. The significance of this bill is obvious and numerous congress people had signed on as sponsors.

Sponsors of HR5843

• Sep. 16 Fortney Pete Stark cosponsored this bill
• Jun. 25 Barbara Lee cosponsored this bill
• Jun. 24 Earl Blumenauer cosponsored this bill
• Jun. 05 Jim McDermott cosponsored this bill
• May. 22 Zoe Lofgren cosponsored this bill
• May. 20 Tammy Baldwin cosponsored this bill
• Apr. 24 Wm. Lacy Clay cosponsored this bill
• Apr. 17 Barney Frank sponsored and Ron Paul cosponsored this bill

We’ll keep an eye out and update you when there is more news about this.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Keep up to date with the status of HR5843 here.

Below is the full text of HR5843.

110th CONGRESS2d Session H. R. 5843

To eliminate most Federal penalties for possession of marijuana for personal use, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

April 17, 2008

Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts (for himself and Mr. PAUL) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

---

A BILL

To eliminate most Federal penalties for possession of marijuana for personal use, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Act to Remove Federal Penalties for the Personal Use of Marijuana by Responsible Adults’.

SEC. 2. ELIMINATION OF CERTAIN MARIJUANA-RELATED PENALTIES.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no penalty may be imposed under an Act of Congress for the possession of marijuana for personal use, or for the not-for-profit transfer between adults of marijuana for personal use. For the purposes of this section, possession of 100 grams or less of marijuana shall be presumed to be for personal use, as shall the not-for-profit transfer of one ounce or less of marijuana, except that the civil penalty provided in section 405 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 844a) may be imposed for the public use of marijuana if the amount of the penalty does not exceed $100.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Latest Major Action: 4/28/2008 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.

A very important thing happened on April 17, 2008 in the House of Representatives. Congressman Barney Frank from Massachusetts, along with eight other congressman from across the United States introduced HR5843. If we can remember from our School House Rocks days , this bill is the first steps towards brighter days for marijuana smokers.

If the resolution becomes law it will remove federal penalties for possession of marijuana under 100 grams.  The bill does not however address dealing, growing, or trafficking of large amounts. There are currently 38 states with laws against the possession of cannabis where the legal status would not change immediately. Of course once the policy becomes publicly accepted there will be a lot of momentum for grass roots efforts to get legislation on the ballot.

This is the most sensible piece of legislation I have ever comes across, and it is worded quite eloquently by Barney Frank. The main theme is that the government has no place in attempting to criminalize cannabis, and that we can spend the resources that go into the war on drugs elsewhere. I’m not saying it’s a perfect solution, but it’s a start. I think a lot of the fear that people have surrounding marijuana is stemmed by a lack of knowledge. Things you don’t know about can be scary, it’s all about baby steps.

I personally would not mind is the government regulated and taxed marijuana.  Even if every penny of those taxes went towards campaigns to keep people from smoking, I’d be it’s biggest cheerleader. Now while the governments raking it in hand over fist from a willing public, I’ll be happily tending to my garden.

We’ll finally be able to know that dream of making a more perfect nation, where an individuals freedoms are given the highest priority. Whatever misguided moral or uninformed reason someone may have for supporting a ban on marijuana will not matter. No one person has the authority to stop another person who is harming no one by his actions.

Keep up with the latest status of HR5843 here

Please contact your local congressman or congresswoman and tell them how you feel about HR5843 and the failed war on drugs policy for cannabis.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA)

Barney Frank has been in Congress since 1981. He is the Chairman of the Financial Services Committee. Previously he was a Massachusetts State Representative and an assistant to the Mayor of Boston. He has also taught at several Boston area universities.

Congressman Barney Frank
2252 Rayburn Building
Washington, DC 20515
tel: (202) 225-5931
fax: (202) 225-0182

Senator Barney Frank from Massachusetts 4th district has been a called one of the “brightest and most energetic defenders of civil rights issues”. He  is  both a very well spoken, and thankfully one of the most outspoken politicians on capital hill today. Recently Congressman Frank Introduced HR5843 which will remove federal  penalties for possession of marijuana under 100g for adults.

Here are some our favorite quotes from Barney Frank regarding marijuana

“When doctors recommend the use of marijuana for their patients and states are willing to permit it, I think it’s wrong for the federal government to subject either the doctors or the patients to criminal prosecution. More broadly speaking, the norm in America is for the states to decide whether particular behaviors should be made criminal. To make the smoking of marijuana, whether for medical purposes or not, one of those extremely rare instances of federal crime – literally, to make a ‘federal case’ out of it – is wholly disproportionate to the activity involved. We do not have federal criminal prohibitions against drinking alcoholic beverages, and there are generally no criminal penalties for the use of tobacco at the state and federal levels for adults. There is no rational argument for treating marijuana so differently from these other substances.”

“To those who say that the government should not be encouraging the smoking of marijuana, my response is that I completely agree. But it is a great mistake to divide all human activity into two categories: those that are criminally prohibited, and those that are encouraged. In a free society, there must be a very considerable zone of activity between those two poles in which people are allowed to make their own choices as long as they are not impinging on the rights, freedom, or property of others. I believe it is important with regard to tobacco, marijuana and alcohol, among other things, that we strictly regulate the age at which people may use these substances. And, enforcement of age restrictions should be firm. But, criminalizing choices that adults make because we think they are unwise ones, when the choices involved have no negative effect on the rights of others, is not appropriate in a free society.”

“If the laws I am proposing pass, states will still be free to treat marijuana as they wish. But I do not believe that the federal government should treat adults who choose to smoke marijuana as criminals. Federal law enforcement is a serious business, and we should be concentrating our efforts in this regard on measures that truly protect the public.”

And of course some video for you to enjoy

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!