(D-MA) Barney Frank to introduce marijuana legalization bill

Finally, a Massachusetts Democrat is doing something useful. :thumbsup:

Rep. Frank says he'll file bill to legalize marijuana
March 22, 2008

BOSTON --Rep. Barney Frank said he plans to file a bill to legalize "small amounts" of marijuana.

Frank announced his plans late Friday on the HBO show "Real Time," hosted by Bill Maher.

"I'm going to file a bill as soon as we go back to remove all federal penalties for the possession or use of small amounts of marijuana," Frank, a Massachusetts Democrat, told Maher.

Frank didn't define "small amounts." Efforts to reach Frank on Saturday were not immediately successful.

Frank said he'd filed a similar bill in the Massachusetts Legislature in the 1970s, but hasn't tried since he was elected to Congress.

"I finally got to the point where I think I can get away with it," he said.

Frank said he thinks "its time for the politicians in this one to catch up to the public. The notion that you lock people up for smoking marijuana is pretty silly."

He told Maher he'd call the bill the "Make Room for Serious Criminals" bill.

Skip to 3:15

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vt2oHtt4IUw[/YOUTUBE]

I love this but i highly doubt anything will come of it. :hippy:

A voice of reason?? People are getting tired of the drug war and its financial costs, and the damage that prosecution for small amounts does to society as a whole. Sooner of later the politicians are going to show the drug war the door. Stress rehabilitation and harm reduction instead of housing and feeding the offenders to the tune of about 40 g a year. They need to give up and their problem is how to do it gracefully after backing for so long something that they knew was wrong in the begining. Thanks Barney
STIMPY21

i live nearby in ri and it would be nice if that bill got passed but i doubt anything will come from it :(