7/14/14 White House Statement on DC MMJ Laws: 'GOP, Butt Out'

[Ruby the Liberal]

WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration believes marijuana policy is a states' rights issue, the White House said Monday in opposing Republican-led legislation that would prevent Washington, D.C., from using federal funds to decriminalize marijuana possession.

The GOP-sponsored House amendment would prevent D.C. "from using its own local funds to carry out locally-passed marijuana policies, which again undermines the principles of States' rights and of District home rule," the White House said in a statement. The White House said the bill "poses legal challenges to the Metropolitan Police Department's enforcement of all marijuana laws currently in force in the District."

Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) called Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.) a "tyrant" for meddling in the District's governing process with the amendment, pointing out that Maryland just voted to decriminalize marijuana possession. The amendment is aimed at blocking a recent D.C. law that lowers the penalty for possessing small amounts of marijuana to a fine.

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Holder didn't weigh in on decriminalization in his own city of D.C., but said it was not a good use of law enforcement resources to give young people a criminal record for drug possession.

Full piece: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/14/marijuana-policy-white-house-states-rights_n_5586188.html