[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 15]
[House]
[Page 20775]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    WE NEED TO WIN THE WAR ON DRUGS

  (Mr. COHEN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, last night, this House had a proposal before 
it to prohibit the DEA from enforcing Federal laws on medical marijuana 
patients in the 12 States where the public has legalized medical 
marijuana. Unfortunately, it failed.
  I voted for the proposal. Why did I vote for the proposal? Yes, I'm 
compassionate about people who have multiple sclerosis and AIDS and 
cancer who can benefit, Parkinson's disease and glaucoma who can 
benefit from medical marijuana. Yes, I voted for it because I believe 
in States' rights and I believe in Justice Brandeis and the 
laboratories of democracy and to see how things work in other States 
and be able to adjust and see how they should work in other States, but 
also because I believe the DEA shouldn't be busting medical marijuana 
houses and stores in Los Angeles. They should be working in my 
community to eliminate and eradicate methamphetamine, crack and other 
drugs that are ravaging my community and causing a crime problem in 
Memphis, Tennessee, and throughout this country.
  The DEA has not been effective at controlling the war on drugs. We 
need to win it. I would like that to happen.

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