My "CON"gressman does not appreciate the Constitution

I recently urged my Congressman to vote for a law that was introduced by the honorable Ron Paul, H.R. 5842. The law basically ask for Federal protection for patients who use medical marijuana. Well he wrote me back today and from his response he obviously does not get it. Read this and then below I posted my response.

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June 5, 2008

Mr. Denney
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Dear Denney:

Thank you for contacting my office regarding the legalization of marijuana and other controlled substances. I appreciate your input on these issues.

The Federal Controlled Substance Act outlaws the cultivation, distribution, or possession of marijuana. This law requires that all local, state and federal authorities prosecute violations regarding the use of marijuana. California recently passed a medical necessity exception to their prohibition of marijuana. In 2001, the United States Supreme Court addressed this issue in the case of U.S. v Oakland Cannabis Buyers' Cooperative. The Supreme Court ruled against the California law, stating that no exception to the prohibition against the federal prosecution of cultivation or distributing marijuana exists. Those who are found guilty under the Federal Controlled Substance Act are sentenced according to the United States Sentencing Commission.

In June 2005, Congressman Hinchey introduced an amendment to the Science, State, Justice, and Commerce Appropriations Act of 2006 which would have prohibited any funds provided under this act from being used to prevent individual states from implementing state laws authorizing the use of medical marijuana. I did not support this amendment, which failed the House of Representatives by a vote of 161-264.

While I appreciate your input, I do not support the legalization of marijuana in any circumstances. Again, thank you for contacting me. If I can be of any further assistance to you in the future, please do not hesitate to contact my office.


Sincerely,

John Carter
Member of Congress


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...and this is my response. I probably will not hear back from him but we shall see.

Congressman Carter,

I appreciate your feedback. We could argue about the use of marijuana and the effects or non-effects it has on the individual and scientifically and comparatively I would win the argument but I did not ask you to vote for this law because of marijuana’s effects. I could care less about the effects of marijuana. I do not partake in self medicating myself with marijuana nor any other mind altering substance oh except the legal one, alcohol. Although with the harmful effects of alcohol compared to marijuana, it seems as though everyone should just get high instead. Oh by the way I never asked you to legalize any other controlled substance, so try to step out of the courtroom for a second.

I asked you to defend the fundamental principles of the Constitution. I also asked you to spend less of MY money on a war on drugs that is failing. Your constituents elected you to defend our liberty’s and the Constitution, not strip us of our money and freedom. I suppose your argument will be, “Don’t you care about the kids?” Yes I do I care about them, I care about them enough to know that it is much easier for a child to get marijuana illegally then it is to get alcohol illegally. John, if I may call you John, the problem is that the black market forces higher prices and higher margins so people are willing to take the risk and sell this cash crop to whomever without fear. Do you remember the prohibition on alcohol? Have you studied that? See how well that worked? If I remember correctly isn’t that how the Kennedy family made their billions, through bootlegging?

So the only way to resolve this is to legalize it, tax it and ID our children for the purchase of it. Then the money we save from not having to expand our prisons we use to, now pay attention here, EDUCATE our children. Hey and guess what the money would then go to American farmers instead of drug cartels and tax payers could see relief from high property, income and capital gains taxes.

John I agree with the all but one of the controlled substances listed in the Federal Controlled Substance Act, marijuana. I do not agree that this law supersedes any states law because of the 10th Amendment.

John if you will not do the right thing and vote for the right and moral thing then I must in all good faith and conscience make it my motivation to convince as many fellow republican voters, that you do not respect the Constitution and are wastefully spending our tax money. Hopefully we can get someone in office who will see through the propaganda and actually read a scientific study.

Eventually your generation will be weeded out(no pun intended) and marijuana will be legalized. Twelve states have made it law and recent elections have shown progress in many other states. John you may want to catch up with your constituents if you plan to stay in office long. Again thank you for your response.

One last thing, you say at the end of your e-mail that you do not support the legalization of marijuana or the de-criminalization, well why? Share with me some of your own experiences with the drug.

Denney
Member of the Greatest Nation in the World.