** FILE ** Marijuana plants flourish under the lights at a grow ... more >An Oregon Democrat has introduced legislation to legalize marijuana for medical use at the federal level.
Rep. Earl Blumenauer and 13 co-sponsors say the measure would help clear up confusion that has pitted states — with legalized marijuana laws — against federal authorities. The bill, Politico reported, would keep federal agents from taking action in the 19 states where marijuana is legal and would set forth guidelines for the Federal Drug Administration to legalize the drug for medicinal use.
“Frankly, the people in the federal hierarchy are in an impossible position,” Mr. Blumenauer said, according to Politico. “[This bill] gets the federal government and the Department of Justice out of this never-never land.”
Mr. Blumenauer’s bill would also establish a means for the government to collect taxes from the drug, Politico adds.
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Cheryl Chumley is a continuous news writer for The Washington Times. Previously, she was part of the start-up team for The Washington Times’ digital aggregation product, Times247. She’s also a 2008-2009 Robert Novak journalism fellow with The Phillips Foundation. She can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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