Thank you for contacting me about H.R. 2306, the Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act, introduced by Representative Barney Frank.
As you know, marijuana has been outlawed by the federal government since the passage of the Controlled Substances Act in 1970. Since then, some 20 states, including California, have decriminalized marijuana, allowing for the use of marijuana for medical purposes, the cultivation of industrial hemp, and in some cases, the sanctioned recreational use of the drug.
I've always been a supporter of legalizing marijuana for medical use and legalizing the cultivation of industrial hemp. I also supported the Justice Department's decision last year to no longer prosecute citizens for medical marijuana-related crimes if those actions were legal on the state level.
H.R. 2306 would decriminalize marijuana on the federal level, allowing states to decide on the legal status of marijuana for medical purposes, industrial hemp, and recreational use. The legislation has been referred to the House Judiciary Committee, and the Energy and Commerce Committee, which I'm a member of. Should this legislation come before me in Committee and on the floor of the full House, I will vote for it.
Sincerely,
Anna G. Eshoo
U.S. Member of Congress
.
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