Local rep. backs bill to legalize medical marijuana

U.S. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher has signed on to a bill by Massachusetts Democrat Barney Frank that would legalize medical marijuana on a federal level.

Every year Rohrabacher co-sponsors the Hinchey-Rohrabacher Amendment, which has not passed but would bar the Department of Justice from spending money to enforce marijuana cases in states that have legalized it for medical purposes. This bill, which was also sponsored by Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), goes a step further and would begin to reclassify marijuana as a prescription drug, but Rohrabacher said it was consistent with his beliefs and didn’t force states to accept medical marijuana.

“If people of a state want to keep it illegal, they themselves could prohibit that,” he said. “It goes a little bit further, but it still maintains the local and state government’s right to make the decision as to whether or not this is a proper function of government.”

This bill is not the same as another one Frank introduced this week that would remove federal penalties for the personal use of small amounts of marijuana.

“I’m certainly not a co-sponsor of that bill,” Rohrabacher said. “If it ever comes to the floor, I’d have to make that decision.”

— Michael Alexander