U.S. Rep. Barney Frank

Medicinal Marijuana Bill Introduced in Congress

(from November/December 1995 Marijuana Policy Report)

For the first time in a decade, a marijuana-law reform bill has been introduced in Congress.

On November 10, 1995, U.S. Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) introduced a bill (H.R. 2618) in the U.S. House of Representatives that would allow eligible physicians to prescribe marijuana to patients undergoing cancer chemotherapy or radiology, as well as patients who have glaucoma, AIDS wasting syndrome, or muscle spasms from certain disorders including multiple sclerosis, paraplegia, and quadriplegia.

This bill is currently pending in both the House Commerce Subcommittee on Health and Environment and the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime.

The need for Rep. Frank's legislation arises from the fact that marijuana is presently classified as a Schedule I controlled substance, which forbids doctors from prescribing it under any circumstances. Even cocaine and morphine are presently in Schedule II — which allows tightly controlled prescriptive access — into which H.R. 2618 would place marijuana.

This bill is nearly identical to the House bill that was introduced and co-sponsored by a bipartisan coalition in 1981, 1983, and 1985 — a coalition which includes 38 members who are still in office. After a decade of waiting, the time is now ripe for extensive lobbying in support of this legislation.

For the House to take action on H.R. 2618, it will probably be necessary for a few dozen U.S. representatives to first co-sponsor the bill. As of December 15, H.R. 2618 had already attracted six co-sponsors:

• Rep. Anthony Beilenson (D-California)
• Rep. Ron Dellums (D-California)
• Rep. Harry Johnston (D-Florida)
• Rep. John Olver (D-Massachuetts)
• Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-California)
• Rep. Gerry Studds (D-Massachuetts)

[Click here for a more current list of co-sponsors.]

Persuading Republicans to support H.R. 2618 is crucial during this Congress because Republicans chair every committee and subcommittee and control the legislative agenda of the House. Hence, the MPP is currently arranging meetings with the staffs of the 33 House Republicans who the MPP believes are most likely to co-sponsor H.R. 2618. These meetings have been favorable so far.

The more co-sponsors that H.R. 2618 attracts now, the more likely it is that either the bill will pass during this Congress or that a medicinal marijuana bill will be a priority for the 1997-1998 Congress.