This article was originally published on the Marijuana Patients Organization site on January 15, 2014.
If we ask President Barack Obama what the federal government’s response to marijuana is, he answers us on his web site, “In enacting the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), Congress determined that marijuana is a Schedule I controlled substance. As with state medical marijuana laws, it is important to note that Congress has determined that marijuana is a dangerous drug and that the illegal distribution and sale of marijuana is a serious crime.
We can fault Congress for inaction in addressing medical marijuana on a Federal level according to Obama. This stance would assume that the majority of US Congress men and women oppose medical marijuana, does this reflect their constituents attitudes?
| STATE WITH MEDICAL MARIJUANA | # OF REPRESENTATIVES |
| Alaska | 1 |
| Arizona | 9 |
| California | 53 |
| Colorado | 7 |
| Connecticut | 5 |
| Delaware | 1 |
| Hawaii | 2 |
| Illinois | 18 |
| Maine | 2 |
| Maryland | 8 |
| Massachusetts | 9 |
| Michigan | 14 |
| Montana | 1 |
| New Hampshire | 2 |
| Nevada | 4 |
| New Jersey | 12 |
| New Mexico | 3 |
| New York | 27 |
| Oregon | 5 |
| Rhode Island | 2 |
| Vermont | 1 |
| Washington | 10 |
| Washington DC | 0 |
| Number of Votes: | 196 |
| Percentage of Congress: | 45% |
If a few more states, or just one of the following states passes medical marijuana legislation, medical marijuana will become the norm and not the exception, and we should expect congressional action, assuming that America is in fact a representative democracy.
- Florida
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- Texas