Dana Rohrabacher: “I thank you very much for providing me this time. I rise in opposition to this rule, which prohibits a vote of the House…”

“I thank you very much for providing me this time. I rise in opposition to this rule, which prohibits a vote of the House of Representatives on an amendment that would prevent the Department of Justice from using its power and resources to supersede all State laws that have legalized the medical use of cannabis. For 3 years, States have been shielded from having the will of their voters and their people by a prohibition on the Department of Justice that would prevent the Department of Justice from thwarting the will of the people of the States by superceding those State laws when they have determined in the States that the medical use of marijuana should be permitted with their citizens. The Rules Committee has, thus, been basically--it will be changing the law of the land for 3 years where the 50 States have been permitted, if they so chose, to have the medical use of marijuana. After this vote, because of this rule, we have been prevented from again providing that prohibition that passed this House on a number of occasions that would prohibit the Department of Justice from superceding State law. In short, a vote for this rule is anti-States' rights. A vote for this rule is against permitting the people of your State to legalize the medical use of marijuana if the Federal Government, if the DOJ, decides.…”