 It has been noted that, before a new idea or concept can be fully accepted and integrated into society, the oldest generation must first die off. That's why it is perhaps not too surprising that the two oldest members of the United States Senate are among the most rabid foes of marijuana legalization . Chuck Grassley, a Republican from Iowa, and Dianne Feinstein , a California Democrat, both 82 years old, are a throwback to the 'reefer madness' era when cannabis was purported to be a dangerous narcotic used only by sex-crazed, murderous dope fiends (who were likely also members of a racial minority). The two political dinosaurs revealed the depth of their outdated ignorance and intolerance when holding a recent hearing inquiring: 'Is the Department of Justice Adequately Protecting the Public From the Impact of State Recreational Marijuana Legalization?' Attempting to bolster the foregone conclusion that the public actually needs protection from the 'impact' of legalization, the senators trotted out several anti-legalization witnesses, including Nebraska's attorney general, a California U.S. attorney and a Governmental Accountability Office analyst. Grassley vs. grass Grassley is clearly from the old school in terms of his attitude towards marijuana he repeats the timeworn 'gateway drug' mantra claiming that marijuana use leads to opioid abuse . He is opposed to the federal government's sensible policy of respecting the Tenth Amendment and allowing states to determine their own approaches to legalization without interference from Washington. He is concerned that 'the Department of Justice decided to all but abandon the enforcement of federal law relating to the possession, cultivation, and distribution of marijuana in states that were in the process of becoming the only jurisdictions in the world to legalize and regulate all these activities for recreational use.' In other words, he believes that state-approved marijuana growers and retailers should be arrested and put out of business, despite the growing consensus that marijuana should and probably eventually will be legalized at the federal level. Meanwhile, the old guard remains staunch in its opposition to social progress. They reminisce about the good old 'Just Say No' era and would like to continue fighting the War on Drugs , ignoring the fact that it has been an utter failure from the beginning. When Grassley asserts that 'good people don't smoke marijuana,' he is condemning more than two-fifths of the population yes, that's right, more than 40 percent of all Americans have used marijuana at least once in their lifetimes. Feinstein: 'The worst senator on marijuana reform' Senator Feinstein's stance is right in line with that of (the ironically named) Grassley she has been called 'the worst senator on marijuana reform.' From SFWeekly.com: As California's senior U.S. senator, Feinstein has for more than 20 years reliably voted for tougher controls on drugs and against any end to cannabis prohibition. When the state had the opportunity to be the first in the country to re-legalize cannabis for adults in 2010, Feinstein served as the prohibitionist campaign's chairwoman. This hard-line stance puts Feinstein at odds not only with her constituents but also her colleagues, many of whom represent more conservative places. When a U.S. Senate committee in mid-June considered a spending amendment to de-funded federal Justice Department efforts to interfere in state-legal cannabis, Feinstein was the sole Democrat to vote against it. Whatever happened to government 'by and for the people'? In 2014, a majority of California voters said they don't want Feinstein to serve another term, and it's pretty obvious why she is out of step with her constituency and stubbornly resists the inevitable shift towards sane marijuana policies at the state and federal level. We need fresh blood in Washington perhaps the next election will send the message that Americans are ready for some housecleaning in Congress. Meanwhile, dinosaurs continue to roam the earth... Sources: DrugPolicy.org Grassley.Senate.gov SFWeekly.com LATimes.com Natural.News Science.selfnews.com 