WASHINGTON — Forbes reported Wednesday that U.S. Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) has written a memo advising Democrats how to legalize marijuana.
Blumenauer's memo, called "Blueprint to Legalize Marijuana," states that if Democrats regain power in the House after the midterm elections in November, they should bring the issue of legalizing marijuana to the Senate by next August.
The congressman has been a vocal supporter of marijuana legalization and co-sponsored a bill to protect states from federal prosecution. The STATES Act was a bipartisan bill introduced after Attorney General Jeff Sessions revoked the Cole Memo, an Obama Era guideline which also protected states with legal weed from federal interference.
Blumenauer also signed a bipartisan letter sent to the president months prior to introducing the STATES Act demanding that Trump restore the Obama policy that protected marijuana states from federal prosecution.
The lawmaker says that Congressional Democrats should hold hearings with expert testimony and discuss potential policy within six months of the midterm elections and pressure the Senate to legalize marijuana by the end of next year.
Seize the Day and Free the Weed
The congressman says that marijuana is safer than both alcohol and tobacco, which are both addictive, legal drugs. Blumenauer wants to end the federal prohibition on marijuana and cites commonsense as good reason.
"It makes no sense to continue a prohibition on marijuana when these two substances, when abused, are a proven greater danger to health and society," said Blumenauer.
Marijuana also may be effective for different conditions. Veterans' groups have repeatedly requested that the government reschedule marijuana because of its qualities but have been unsuccessful, forcing vets to suffer, use addictive prescription drugs, or break the law to find relief.
The lawmaker said that it was hypocritical for the government to continue prohibition while also noting that lawmakers should acknowledge when existing policies are failures or end up causing more harm than good.
Blumenauer advised Democrats that pot proponents' ongoing quest to legalize marijuana will happen eventually and called on his party to lead rather than to allow Trump to take credit for the inevitable.
"If we fail to act swiftly, I fear as the 2020 election approaches, Donald Trump will claim credit for our work in an effort to shore up support," he said, adding that it was time for Democrats to seize the moment.
Polls show that at least 62 percent of Americans want to legalize marijuana, and Blumenauer's memo reminds Democrats that the end of pot prohibition is looming with 46 states having legalized marijuana already, not to mention Canada.
