As early as this Thursday the U.S. House of Representatives will have an opportunity to vote on a bipartisan amendment that would prohibit the federal government from spending taxpayer money to interfere with state medical marijuana laws. We urge members of both parties – and in particular those on the 10th Amendment Task Force — to take a stand for sensible drug policy and against wasteful government spending.

Twenty-two states and the District of Columbia have now legalized marijuana for a variety of medicinal purposes – and an additional five states recently passed laws to allow access to CBD oils, a non-psychotropic component of marijuana that has proven uniquely effective in managing the epileptic seizures that afflict children with Dravet’s syndrome. Florida and New York may well legalize medical marijuana later this year.

A recent Pew Research Center survey found that nearly three in four Americans – including 78 percent of Independents, 71 percent of Democrats and 67 percent of Republicans – believe that efforts to enforce marijuana laws cost more than they are worth. Similar numbers — 80 percent of Democrats, 76 percent of Independents, and 61 percent of Republicans – favor making medical marijuana legally available.