(National) Bipartisan Marijuana Bill Appears To Have One More Big Supporter In Its Corner: The NAACP [View all]

Last edited Sun Nov 10, 2013, 03:16 PM - Edit history (1)

A bipartisan bill advocating for states rights on marijuana appears to have one more big supporter in its corner.

Marijuana Majority said Saturday in an email that the NAACP's Board of Directors passed a resolution last month in support of H.R. 1523 -- the Respect States Marijuana Laws Act. Introduced in April by Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.), the legislation is designed to protect both medical and recreational pot users from federal prosecution for following state laws.

"For obvious historical reasons, many civil rights leaders who agree with us about the harms of marijuana prohibition still remain reluctant to see the states chart their own courses out of the failed 'war on drugs,'" wrote Tom Angell, Chairman of Marijuana Majority, in the email. "Having the NAACP's support for a states' rights approach to marijuana reform is going to have a huge impact and will provide comfort and cover to politicians and prominent people who want to see prohibition end but who are a little skittish about states getting too far ahead of the feds on this issue."

As of Saturday, the bill had a strong range of bipartisan support with 20 cosponsors, including 15 Democrats. Back in April, Rohrabacher stressed that this was a "common-sense approach" to establishing boundaries between federal and local jurisdictions.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/09/marijuana-naacp_n_4246693.html