Marijuana: The Path Forward

February 7, 2013

It is time for the federal government to reform the failed marijuana policies that ruin lives and cost us billions of dollars every year.

To begin this process, I have authored a report “The Path Forward: Rethinking Federal Marijuana Policies” that describes the history of marijuana in the United States, the current state of marijuana laws across the country, some of the current conflicts between state and federal law, and outlines several opportunities to reform and clarify marijuana law at the federal level. In addition to convening a congressional working group to hammer out the details, Rep. Jared Polis of Colorado and I have introduced legislation to end the federal prohibition of marijuana and set up a tax and regulatory framework to get the ball rolling.
The time could not be better to move on these reforms. Last November, Colorado and Washington voters chose to legalize small amounts of marijuana for adult recreational use. Nineteen Jurisdictions already allow medical marijuana. Half of Americans have tried marijuana at some point in their lives, and about 18 million have used it in the past month. It has been here for years, and it is here to stay.

Instead of arresting two-thirds of a million people every year for using something that half of Americans feel should be legal, we should embark on a reasonable program allowing states to develop their own programs that the federal government should tax and regulate. This is a position that conservatives who respect states’ rights and liberals who respect individual rights should be able to get behind.

Once we have established this principle, we should finally institute a framework to tax and regulate marijuana that will save billions of dollars in enforcement-related costs and raise billions in new revenue for deficit reduction, substance abuse, and law enforcement.

I look forward to working with members of both parties to move this issue forward. It no longer makes sense to keep marijuana in a legal gray area, and it’s past time that we brought federal law and enforcement into line with the will of the majority of Americans. 
Sincerely,





Earl Blumenauer
Member of Congress