[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 7]
[House]
[Pages 9921-9922]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1040
                            FAILED DRUG WAR

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Colorado (Mr. Polis) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, it's hard to believe that the war on drugs 
has lasted 40 years. The stories of Americans who have suffered because 
of the war on drugs continue to flood my in-box. Even veterans who 
served our country are victims of our senseless drug war.
  For instance, Alex from Franklin, Ohio, wrote in to me. Alex is a 
U.S. Army veteran with chronic pain and muscle spasms due to his 
service to our country. After returning from his deployment, he was put 
on opiate muscle relaxers from the VA clinic, which didn't work well 
for him. Following a friend's recommendation, he tried medical 
marijuana, and it worked for him. However, he was forced to quit in 
order to accept a new job, and his pain returned. He returned to the VA 
over and over again, searching for something to relieve the pain. Their 
only answer was to prescribe stronger and stronger opiates, far 
stronger narcotics than marijuana. When that didn't work, he was sent 
to physical therapists, who didn't have an answer either; but because 
he lives in a State that doesn't offer access to medical marijuana, he 
is forced to have a very difficult decision between living with his 
pain or violating the law.
  Another person who wrote in is Bob, from Fulton, Georgia, who wrote 
me to share the story of his wife, who has suffered from systemic lupus 
for over 30 years. Lupus has slowly deteriorated her body, destroying 
her hip joint and shoulders. Multiple doctors have said there is 
nothing they can do to relieve her pain. During those 3 decades, they 
have tried all sorts of powerful approved and legal narcotics--to no 
avail. The only thing that has relieved her pain without side effect 
and makes her life better is medical marijuana. Again, unfortunately, 
for Bob and his wife, their State does not have access to medical 
marijuana like my home State of Colorado does and 14 other States.
  Bob ends the story about his wife by saying, ``She is 65 years old 
and can only look forward to pain and agony.'' I'm sure there are many 
folks in our country in the same situation. Releasing them from the 
threat of arrest and incarceration simply for trying to live a pain-
free life would be a godsend for these patients and their caregivers.
  Is this the reason that we're waging a war on drugs--to ensure that 
sick people continue to suffer from pain unnecessarily or are driven to 
buy stronger, more powerful and more addictive narcotics?
  Now, there are a lot of views on what a more sensible marijuana 
policy might look like. My own approach is support for legalization and 
creating a regulatory system similar to what we have for alcohol and 
tobacco. We can regulate access, make sure people are not driving under 
the influence, prevent minors from accessing drugs, tax drugs, and 
engage in public outreach and education campaigns about the dangers of 
marijuana.
  Taxing and regulating marijuana would save taxpayers billions of 
dollars and would generate revenue. In fact, each year, the Federal 
Government spends $8 billion arresting and locking up nonviolent 
marijuana users--again, not marijuana dealers, not marijuana growers. 
There is $8 billion spent locking up nonviolent marijuana users. For 
instance, Alex, the veteran, or Bob's wife in Georgia could very well 
fall victim to that if they're in the wrong place at the wrong time.
  Taxing and regulating marijuana would also make our communities 
safer. Removing marijuana from the criminal market would free up police 
time so officers can focus on violent crimes, property crimes, people 
driving under the influence of alcohol or marijuana or any other 
substance. Tax dollars could be used to incarcerate real criminals who 
threaten public safety rather than veterans like Alex who are simply 
using marijuana as a less powerful narcotic alternative to deal with 
their pain than the opiates that are fully legal under the law and 
prescribed at the VA.
  Instead of reaping these benefits, our country continues to suffer 
under the failed war on drugs. We need to put an end to this war on 
drugs, which has caused so much needless suffering. The government 
should treat its citizens like responsible adults instead of 
interfering in their lives, and it should offer to help those suffering 
addiction instead of incarcerating them. The proper front to win the 
war against narcotics abuse in this country is a health

[[Page 9922]]

 war, not a war of violence. We are losing this war. Addicts continue 
to suffer needlessly every day. Those who would benefit from medical 
marijuana are continually forced to violate the law or to live their 
lives in pain.
  We can do better as a Nation. Many States are leading the way, and we 
at the Federal level need to pursue the direction that has been 
followed by an increasing number of States, and we need to regulate the 
use of marijuana in a way that is compassionate, that discourages usage 
among minors, and we need to make sure that we have a health aspect in 
dealing with addiction where it exists.

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