The 2011-2012 session of Congress marks a new era in marijuana policy at the federal level. For the first time ever, a bill to end federal marijuana prohibition has been introduced! This is just one of a number of marijuana-related bills pending in the 112th Congress. Keep reading to see how you can take action to show your representatives in Congress you support marijuana policy reform.
MPP's federal goals for 2011-2012 are to:
- Build support for legislation (H.R. 2306) that would treat marijuana like alcohol under federal law. Our goal is to have 15-20 members of the U.S. House of Representatives co-sponsor this bill during the 112th session of Congress
- Persuade members of Congress to introduce bills designed to protect and assist medical marijuana patients and providers
- Monitor Department of Justice activity to ensure that the department remains faithful to its pledge to not prosecute individuals acting in compliance with state medical marijuana laws
- Generate media coverage about an FDA-approved study of marijuana use as a possible treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in order to put pressure on the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to provide marijuana for the study
- Lobby for passage of an amendment to a congressional appropriations bill that would eliminate all funding for the drug czar’s office
MPP's quick and easy online system allows you to communicate with decision-makers in Washington, D.C. By following the links below, you can generate support for important marijuana policy reforms in Congress and at the White House. It only takes a few minutes to make a difference.
Current Actions
Tell your U.S. Rep. to support the Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2012
H.R. 2306 would remove marijuana from the list of controlled substances and would eliminate all federal penalties related to marijuana except in cases where marijuana is shipped into another state in violation of that state’s laws. This is how alcohol was treated on the federal level after prohibition.
Tell your U.S. Rep. to support pending medical marijuana bills in Congress
On May 25, 2011, three bills to benefit medical marijuana patients and their providers were introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives. The “States’ Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act,” would modify federal law so that individuals acting in compliance with state law are immune from federal prosecution. The “Small Business Tax Equity Act of 2011” and the “Small Business Banking Improvement Act of 2011” address critical tax and banking issues faced by medical marijuana centers and dispensaries as they attempt to serve patients, comply with statewide regulations, and pay their fair share of taxes.
Tell your U.S. Rep. to vote to De-fund the Drug Czar’s office
During the 112th session of Congress, U.S. Reps. Jared Polis (D-CO) and Ron Paul (R-TX) plan to introduce an amendment to the FY2012 (or FY2013) Financial Services Appropriations bill. This amendment would cut $23 million in duplicative and wasteful discretionary government spending by zero-funding the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), commonly known as the “Drug Czar’s Office.”
Tell President Obama to Open a Federal Medical Marijuana Program
From 1978 to 1992, the federal government ran a program for medical marijuana patients called the IND Compassionate Access Program. As a result, three patients, grandfathered into the program, still receive medical marijuana from the federal government for the treatment of serious illnesses. Please help urge President Obama to reopen this important and compassionate program.
