Dennis Kucinich: “I rise to support the Farr/Rohrabacher/ Hinchey amendment, which will end federal raids on medical marijuana patients…”

“I rise to support the Farr/Rohrabacher/ Hinchey amendment, which will end federal raids on medical marijuana patients and providers in states where medical marijuana is legal. Despite marijuana's recognized therapeutic value, including a National Academy of Sciences' Institute of Medicine report recommending its use in certain circumstances, federal law refuses to recognize its medicinal importance and safety. Instead, federal penalties for all marijuana use, regardless of purpose, includes up to a year in prison for the possession of even small amounts. But since 1996, eight states have enacted laws to allow very ill patients to use medical marijuana in spite of federal law. The present administration, however has sought to override such state statutes, viewing the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes in the same light as the use of heroin or cocaine. In 2002, federal agents raided the Wo/ Men's Alliance for Medical Marijuana or WAMM, an organization that under California state law legally dispensed marijuana to patients whose doctors had recommended it for pain and suffering. Eighty-five percent of WAMM's 225 members were terminally ill with cancer or AIDS. The federal government should use its power to help terminally ill citizens, not arrest them. And states deserve to have the right to make their own decisions regarding the use of medical marijuana. I strongly urge my colleagues to support this amendment. The CHAIRMAN.…”