Pubdate: Sun, 14 Dec 2014
Source: Washington Post (DC)
Copyright: 2014 The Washington Post Company
Contact: http://mapinc.org/url/mUgeOPdZ
Website: http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/491
Authors: Andy Harris and Joe Pitts
Note: Andy Harris, a Republican, represents Maryland's 1st 
Congressional District in the House, where Joe Pitts, a Republican, 
represents Pennsylvania's 16th Congressional District.
Page: A25

CONGRESS'S DUTY TRUMPS D.C.'S VOTE

Legalized Marijuana in the Federal District Would Be a Recipe for Legal Chaos

Many have asked why Republican legislators who profess respect for 
self-government and democracy would step in to overrule D.C. 
residents who voted to legalize recreational marijuana use in the 
city. We would like to answer that question head-on. Simply put, we 
believe that Congress must defend the federal government and the U.S. 
Constitution by preventing marijuana legalization from moving forward 
in the District.

Federal policy on marijuana is neither arbitrary nor set in stone. 
Proper procedures exist for changing the way that marijuana is 
regulated in the United States, but a ballot initiative in the 
federal district is not one of them. If the city were allowed to 
proceed, it would create legal chaos.

The classification of marijuana as a Schedule I controlled substance 
was made through a legal and scientific process established by 
Congress and administered by the Food and Drug Administration and the 
Drug Enforcement Agency. This classification means that the drug has 
a high potential for abuse, has no accepted medical use and cannot be 
used safely even under medical supervision.

Marijuana use is far from benign, and the effect the drug has on 
users can ripple through a lifetime and touch both their families and 
society at large.

Many studies have shown that use of marijuana can have a wide range 
of negative effects on an individual's brain, body and behavior. This 
includes short- and long-term effects on functions such as brain 
development, memory and cognition, motivation and lung health. 
Persistent marijuana users have shown a significant drop in IQ 
between childhood and midlife.

Marijuana is the illicit drug most frequently found to be a factor in 
car accidents, including fatal ones. Both emergency department visits 
involving marijuana and treatment admissions for abuse have increased 
in recent years. In 2011, according to the National Institute on Drug 
Abuse (NIDA), there were 128,857 emergency room visits related to 
marijuana use, about the same as for heroin use and almost double the 
number of marijuana ER visits in 2004 (65,699).

Legalization in some jurisdictions has led to increased marijuana use 
by teenagers. According to officials in Nebraska, areas of the state 
that border Colorado, where recreational marijuana is legal, have 
seen an increase in the number of teens ticketed for possession of 
marijuana and a spike in the drug's potency. The American Academy of 
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, in a statement approved just this 
year, maintains that: "Marijuana use is not benign, and adolescents 
are especially vulnerable to its many known adverse effects." The 
group opposes efforts to legalize the drug even for adult use.

There is much we still don't know. NIDA is doing important research 
into the impact of marijuana use. We need more investigation into the 
health effects of recreational consumption, its effect on teen 
educational achievement and the economic impact of using the drug. We 
also need to look closely into chemical components of marijuana, such 
as THC and CBD, that could have medical indications and figure out 
ways to avoid the negative effects of smoking or ingesting marijuana.

The FDA and DEA have a process for analyzing such studies and 
approving controlled substances. We do not let any other substance 
become approved by ballot initiative. Every drug must be subject to 
the same strict scrutiny.

Legalizing marijuana in the District is a recipe for legal chaos. 
There are 26 separate law enforcement agencies in the city. 
Twenty-five of them answer only to the federal government. If the 
city proceeded with legalization, whether an individual is arrested 
for marijuana possession could end up hinging on whether the 
arresting officer works for the Metropolitan Police Department or, 
say, the National Park Service. Individuals possessing an amount of 
marijuana legal by District law could find themselves arrested and 
prosecuted after they walk into a federal building or step into a federal park.

We believe every state should respect federal law and take caution 
prior to legalizing marijuana. Unlike in the states, though, Congress 
has a direct responsibility under Article I, Section 8, of the 
Constitution, for policy in the District. This does not mean we need 
to micromanage. The people of the District should have a local 
government that is tailored to their needs. But when their wishes 
clearly conflict with federal law, Congress's will must be preeminent.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom