Lawmakers for the first time have introduced legislation in Congress that seeks to end the federal criminalization of the personal use of marijuana.
H.R. 2306, entitled the 'Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2011,' prohibits the federal government from prosecuting adults who use or possess marijuana by removing the plant, and its primary psychoactive constituent, THC, from the five schedules of the federal Controlled Substances Act of 1970.
Under present law, all varieties of the marijuana plant are defined as illicit Schedule I controlled substances, defined as possessing 'a high potential for abuse,' and 'no currently accepted medical use in treatment.'
The 'Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act' seeks to federally deregulate the personal possession and use of marijuana by adults. It marks the first time that members of Congress have introduced legislation to eliminate the federal criminalization of marijuana since the passage of the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937.
Language in the act mimics changes enacted by Congress to repeal the federal prohibition of alcohol. Passage of this measure would remove the existing conflict between federal law and the laws of those sixteen states that allow for the limited use of marijuana under a physicians' supervision. It would also allow state governments that wish to fully legalize and regulate the responsible use, possession, production, and distribution of marijuana for all adults to be free to do so without federal interference.
The federal criminalization of marijuana has failed to reduce the public's demand or access to cannabis, and it has imposed enormous fiscal and human costs upon the American people. It is time to end this failed public policy and to provide state governments with the freedom to enact alternative strategies -- such as medicalization, decriminalization, and/or legalization -- without running afoul of the federal law.
link -
https://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=8600

[GoozMan]

Is anyone familiar with the bigger picture in regards to this bill? Does it really have a chance?

[paladin420]

[DoobieDuck]

I found this at HuffingtonPost...by Rob Kampia,...DD

While today's bill won't pass anytime soon, its significance cannot be overstated: The bill serves as the ultimate organizing tool for the Marijuana Policy Project and other organizations.

For example, approximately 150 of the 435 members of the House support medical marijuana, but most of the 150 have been silent about or hostile to broader marijuana policy reform. Activists who live in the districts of these pro-medical marijuana House members will now have the opportunity to start a new conversation with these elected officials.

Also, if the federal debate shifts solidly from "medical marijuana" to "marijuana legalization" -- a process that started during the Prop. 19 initiative campaign in California last year -- then perhaps the passage of medical marijuana legislation on Capitol Hill will be seen as less radical, or even inevitable.

The federal bill also adds additional legitimacy to the initiatives that are sure to be on the ballots in California, Colorado, and possibly Washington state in November 2012. In past initiative campaigns that sought to tax and regulate marijuana like alcohol, our opponents said that our initiatives were pointless, because what we were proposing was against federal law anyway. Now we can say, "Actually, there's legislation in Congress that would remove federal obstructionism to what we're trying to do here in Colorado. So let's go ahead and pass the initiative, and then we'll push Congress to pass the federal bill in early 2013."

The "Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2011" has six original sponsors -- five Democrats and one Republican. Our goal is to increase that number to 15 sponsors by the fall of 2012. In the meantime, my organization will be dedicating substantial resources to passing a ballot initiative in Colorado in November 2012; if that initiative and/or the initiatives in California and Washington state pass, then our nation will have a real debate about the federal bill in the weeks and months after Election Day.

[budlover123]

Apparently the bill is being held up by some judiciary committee so they won't even get to vote on it, there is a petition in my signature you can sign, it's extremely weak so I encourage you to do so.

actually, the NORML backed one isn't as weak, but certainly needs support

[bubba D. farmer]

more sponsors have signed on to support this bill.

[Haunt]

regulation not legalization.

[SunshineDreams]

Some people have told me that they believe that legalization/taxation would make prices high and not allow people to grow for personal use. How do you guys feel about this? Just curious. I'd love to see it become completely decriminalized.

[geeker]

i think it would be funny if pot was legal. there you are, walking through the home improvement super mega store nursery to pick up tomatoes, hot peppers and cannabis plants.

[bubba D. farmer]

I saw in the news today that Republican Rep. Lamar Smith, who represents Texas is crying a river of tears because the justice dept. used a little swerve in stopping some voter id law in texas. Many of you may remember good old lamar smith, he is the head of the commitee that killed H.R. 2306, entitled the 'Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2011. looks like karma is catching up to him. Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.