Nearly 70 U.S. representatives signed a letter sent on January 12, 2018 to the U.S. House of Representatives proposing a bill amendment, also known as the McClintock-Polis Amendment, that would ensure protections for states that have legalized marijuana. The McClintock-Polis Amendment ensures that the U.S. Department of Justice funds can not be used to interfere with states that have allowed some form of marijuana legalization, whether it be medical or recreational.
In April of 2017, a letter from Reps. Tom McClintock and Polis that requested inclusion of the amendment had a total of 16 signatures. The letter recently sent last Friday had the support of up to 60 members of Congress. The members who signed stated that the provision allows for states to regulate their own commerce within their own borders on a constitutional level. The representatives wrote “..[W]e are concerned with several attempts to apply federal law upon commerce related to cannabis that is conducted entirely within the boundaries of states that have legalized such commerce”. Polis said that he will continue to push for his Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Act which would ultimately end the federal marijuana prohibition.
In New Jersey, possession of a very small quantity of marijuana can produce significant consequences, including a driver’s license suspension that can range from 6 months to 2 years. If you have been charged with possession of marijuana or possession of any other drug in Bergen County, you should contact Frank T. Luciano who has been defending cases of these types for over 40 years. He is a lifetime member of NORML’s legal committee and a longtime member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. You can assess Frank T. Luciano’s skills by visiting his Testimonial page on his website.