[Cali smoke]

House subcommittee OKs pot on D.C. ballot
By: Michael Neibauer
Examiner Staff Writer
June 28, 2009

A House appropriations subcommittee has lifted a long-standing budget rider banning the District government from spending any money to decriminalize marijuana.

The Financial Services panel, which has oversight of D.C., has removed from the 2010 budget 11-year-old language outlawing the District’s use of federal or local funds to legalize marijuana or reduce penalties for its possession or distribution.

“This is definitely something we’ve been working with Congress on for a few years now and communicated with the committee about,” said Bruce Mirken, spokesman for the Marijuana Policy Project. “It’s taken a while to get it done, but it looks like maybe this will be the year that it happens.”

The financial services budget, marked up Thursday, “takes further steps towards reducing undue congressional interference in local affairs,” Rep. Jose Serrano, the subcommittee chairman, said in a statement.

Serrano, D-N.Y., said the budget bill “allows the District to conduct and implement a referendum on use of marijuana for medical purposes as has been done in various states.”

The District voted on medical marijuana once before, in 1998, but the votes were declared invalid. Former Rep. Bob Barr raced to have his anti-legalization language added to the budget two weeks before the initiative vote was held. When the ballots were unofficially tallied nearly a year after they were cast, it was learned that 69 percent of voters backed legalization.

If added to the ballot now, it will pass again, said Chuck Thies, a political strategist who worked on the 1998 pro-initiative campaign.

“I look forward to it being on the ballot next year,” he said. “I expect there would be a well-funded, well-organized citywide effort for 2010.”

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administrative is firmly against the legalization of medical marijuana, arguing proponents “are spending huge amounts of money to encourage a greater tolerance for drug use.” Smoked marijuana “has not withstood the rigors of science — it is not medicine and it is not safe,” the DEA argues.

The financial services budget bill also eliminates a longtime ban on the use of local funds for abortion, and it discontinues the ban on the use of funds for domestic partnership registration.

mneibauer@washingtonexaminer.com

[true grit]

So this then begs the question- if D.C. were to allow medical marijuana, will that set precedent for the rest of the U.S. in Federal Court? As it stands now, being a US District and not a state, if a legal decision is made that sets precedent in the Federal Court system...look at the handgun laws that caused the controversial Supreme Court ruling of unconstitutional- immediately set precedent for any US District Court cases.

So if they legalize, and anyone gets challenged, wins in US. District Court then can all states use that as precedent and challenge to District court level?

[Kalcu]

Man they pass so many laws to bog down any debate, that is some determination!

I don't see how cannabis is unsafe, maybe the rare experience of someone being unsafe while not being used to being stoned. We all know that there are studies to suggest cannabis being good for a lot of things. Like preventing heart disease, diabetes, not to mention pain, seizures, eye problems that I will probably never have.

[Nuglover]

Originally Posted by Kalcu

I don't see how cannabis is unsafe, maybe the rare experience of someone being unsafe while not being used to being stoned.

back on 3/24 you said...
"Smoking tobacco and cannabis are about equal in health risks/damages, it really depends on the quality and amounts consumed"

Not startin' nuthin...but which one is it?

[baggins]

my question is...if DC legalizes will Obama smoke

[n0dn4rb]

woot....looks like i will have to make the 5 min move to DC as it doesn't look like Md is gonna get their act together anytime soon and actually protect it's med patients.

Will def have to get a DC addy so I can vote on this....

[bass ackwards]

Wouldn't it be great to see that happen? To see the D.C. legalize MMJ would be cause for everyone to sit up and take notice. Just the thought of all those civil servants smoking up on lunch break brings a smile to my face.

[SkyHi]

Originally Posted by Nuglover

back on 3/24 you said...
"Smoking tobacco and cannabis are about equal in health risks/damages, it really depends on the quality and amounts consumed"

Not startin' nuthin...but which one is it?

Lol, TCH farmer has a transcription service now too.!!! Lol jk

[ismokepot]

Regarding D.C.- I'm a local and it'll never happen in a million years! Not here, not now, not ever.

[true grit]

Sadly thats probably more realistic, who shuts it down once it passes through initiative vote? Thats a lot for congress to argue about, and it would bring it front and center- the wishes of the people of DC vs. the corrupt politicians. Have to admit, even if it were to get struck from law, thats quite the stage to set the argument.