Dana Rohrabacher: “So a vote against this rule is a vote to permit those States to make that decision. The rule, as it is now, prevents us…”

“So a vote against this rule is a vote to permit those States to make that decision. The rule, as it is now, prevents us from getting in the way of the Justice Department's obliteration of these rights. But one of the most important things, whether it is States' rights, or whether it is trying to listen to the seniors who are begging for us to give them some relief from some of their suffering and let them at least try this if the doctors so prescribe, but let us just remember this: that billions of dollars, $3 billion or $4 billion have been invested in this industry to provide honest businessmen and doctors the right to try medical marijuana on some of these maladies. Those $3 billion will immediately be transferred to the drug cartels in Mexico if this rule goes through. That is what it means. Now, I would suggest that whether it is opiates, or the drug lords down in Mexico, we need to side with the States' rights to make this determination and decide--and to make our determination to let the people decide in those States and let them have the choice there. Mr. Speaker, I oppose this rule for those reasons.”