On 23 June 2011; Rep. Ron Paul (R-Tex) and Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass), introduced a bill sponsored by Rep. Barney Frank, that would end the prohibition of marijuana by the Federal Government of the United States of America. It would remove marijuana as a controlled substance and limit the Federal Governments role to interstate transport, leaving the states with the rights to legalize the drug.

According to the Associated Press, the bill is dead on arrival as it meets opposition by Chairman of the Board of the House Judiciary Committee Lamar Smith said it would not even be considered.

“Decriminalizing marijuana will only lead to millions more Americans becoming addicted to drugs and greater profits for drug cartels who fund violence along the U.S.-Mexico border. Allowing states to determine their own marijuana policy flies in the face of Supreme Court precedent,” Smith said.

However, the reality is that the movement to legalize marijuana has reached the U.S. Congress and it is a real issue that has to be addressed as we must reduce spending. As 1.1 million people or 1 out of 6 in federal prison are in for marijuana related crimes.

Nobody knows how much is being spend to retain the prohibition of marijuana. Here are things to consider:

Cost of keeping marijuana illegal:

cost of active law enforcement +
cost of prosecution (and defense!) of accused offenders +
cost of incarceration of convicted offenders +
billions of dollars in tax revenue that would be generated if drugs were legal and taxed +
cost of foster care and social services for children of incarcerated offenders.

It was estimated by the top economists that at a minimum the end of prohibition would save us $10B to $14B annually instantly and our marijuana crop is now worth about $34B and if taxed could bring in at least $7B annual tax revenue.

I think the prohibition of marijuana is bad policy, because it is destroying too many lives and is disenfranchising to many young Americans. We have the soil to grow it and should take the leadership position on this one. However, I think we can increase our production 10 fold and tax this drug at federal, state of production and state of retail and city. It would still be cheaper than it is now on the streets and the government could pull in huge revenues and the growers would make huge profits world wide as other nations will follow our lead.

Fact: 100 seeds can produce as much as 5,000 Grams = 11 Pounds in 6 to 9 months.

Here in the Heartland of Florida, we have the fertile soil, sunlight and plenty water. This law could save tour economy, therefore it has to be at least debated.

If HR: 2306 is passed by the 112th Congress, what will it mean to the, the Nation, the state of Florida and the East Coast? What the FEDS put on the table is a budget cutting action. The Federal Government is about to get smaller and the decision to downsize will be written in stone once the Debt Ceiling is raised. Many services must be reduced as well as law enforcement groups.

It is my position that for there to be relevant changes in how we accomplish the economic recovery and maintain smaller government, there has to be legislative changes all the way down to the ordinances in our Cities throughout the nation and HR 2306 is an example of how to create more revenue and both execute smaller government thru legislative change.

It is my hope that not only does this bill be passed but also be modified because it does not address an important issue if marijuana is ultimately legalized by the State of Florida and other states on the East Coast and for that matter other nations in the world.

The issue is commerce: Florida and California are the main potential production states of marijuana in our Nation. These two states depend on agriculture and both got hit hard by mortgage foreclosures. Both states need money bad and the marijuana crop is the U.S. most valued crop and could be a turning point for both economies. As California is well on their way Florida is a backwards state with a lot of oppressive ordinances, laws and rules and we need legislative changes ASAP.

The problem with HR 2306 as it is written is that it does not allow interstate commerce of marijuana which hurts large scale production states that could immensely profit from its exportation.

As the law stands this could create a pipeline for the underworld and the government will lose a lot of money as a result of illegal transport across state lines. Interstate commerce has to be addressed in this bill.

Here in Highlands County and the Heartland of Florida, we have a lot of unsheltered territory. We have a agriculture market that is weakening as fruit prices are going up due to labor shortages, farmers are having a difficult time clearing their trees as less workers are laboring the fields. Why? Because the pay is too low for the work and we depend on foreign labor? These are the type of issues that must be addressed.

A HR: 2306 addendum should be added to allow interstate transport from one state to another by air or ground or sea to any state or country that allows legal marijuana sales.

The state of Florida and the state of California are our main agriculture states. The Florida Department of Agriculture has to be subsidized by marijuana growers in the state of Florida. Understand marijuana is a weed and it will grow plentiful in the Heartland of Florida. Here we have plenty open space to produce the crop, sunlight and water, but we cannot simply replace agriculture farmers with marijuana farmers we must protect our food industry in America. So farmers has to have an incentive to grow food to the bank.

Marijuana Farming should have legislative intent that goes beyond the obvious which is smaller government and new tax revenues from a new source. And it should address many other issues contingent to the legalization of marijuana in Florida.

Things on the fly that should be address:

#1: Marijuana Agriculture subsidy Act of Florida:

When you have two crops that come from the same place and one cost $1,500 per pound and another $.99 per pound. They have to balance out at the department labor and the supermarket. By keeping marijuana at high prices we can lower the prices of fruits and vegetables and increase the wages of the agricultural labor force.

#2: Marijuana Fair Licensing Act:

Let us face it, most of the farmers already control the land to produce the crops here in the Heartland. Most of the contracts will naturally go to the agriculture farmers to grow the marijuana crop, but not all the fields, as a marijuana plant the size of a football field could produce a million dollars in crops annually easily.

A) Only citizens of the United States of America and Florida can commercially farm marijuana in the State Florida.

B) Minorities have to be guaranteed a percentage of the cultivation licenses and worldwide distribution and like I said part “and a mean a nice slice of the state taxes” must go to subsidize the fruit and vegetable industry here in the State of Florida and the Heartland. This has to be fair and reasonable for both sides.

C) Permanent residents of the state should have a priority for the employment on marijuana plants on location in Florida and the Heartland, to include positions such as security of these valued crops and the harvesting of them as well as packaging.

D) Military Veterans should have a priority as venders/distributors of Marijuana. Venders must be Florida citizens without a felony conviction or with pardon/clemency from the Federal government or state from which he/she distributes out of.

3) The Florida Infrastructure Development Act:

After we subsidize agriculture of off the top, to secure our labor forces and bring down the price of fruits and vegetables. Insure that this market is a living wages industry and protect our local labor force, we have to set an agenda to help our overall economy. Here the governor has to set his own initiative. We need public transportation here in Highlands County and the Heartland in the form of buses and connecting trains and buses to the high speed rail going into production as a nationwide transport network and hub.

Suggestion:

Find the right candidates thru the VA Health System and do a Federally Funded Clinical Test on Marijuana using Volunteers from the VA, before you toss the bill test it a year or so.

Request:

Put me on the top of the list:

Medical Use of Marijuana Should Be Researched by the FEDS:

The medical use of marijuana has been known since ancient times.
Here’s a list of the most popular medical conditions marijuana is famous for alleviating:

Asthma: over 15,000,000 Americas are affected with asthma. Marijuana would be beneficial for 80% of them if it were available. The treatment of marijuana and asthma has been used for thousands of years – it is a proven medical treatment.

Glaucoma: causes 14% of all blindness in America. Marijuana smoking would help thousands that suffer from it.

Tumors: both benign and malignant (cancerous) tumors have reacted promisingly to the medical use of marijuana. Marijuana was given a bad name through yellow journalism. It was said to cause health problems – when instead it has been successfully used in tumor research – millions of individuals have used it for treating themselves after the bad effects of conventional medicine.

Cancer: marijuana and cancer, nausea relief (Aids, cancer therapy, sea sickness) are all treated successfully with marijuana.

Chemotherapy treatment has some nasty side effects that include nausea. When the patient is already in such bad condition, not being able to eat is just too much – marijuana treatment is the best known way for these people to combat the nausea caused by chemotherapy.

Epilepsy: 60% of epilepsy patients would benefit by marijuana smoking. Smoking marijuana is also a major source of relief for Multiple Sclerosis and other nervous systems and muscular weaknesses. Tremors and Back Pain are among this group of ailments that respond favorably to smoking marijuana.

Antibiotic CBD disinfectants: medical use of marijuana has been proven as an antibiotic. There are many uses for a cannabinoid, including treatments for gonorrhea and herpes. If research were allowed, CBD antibiotics would, without a doubt, be used in every hospital.

Arthritis: and other ailments like Cystic fibrosis and Rheumatism benefited from the marijuana topical analgesic until 1937. Marijuana was in nearly all conventional medicine before it was outlawed – without any proof or reason what-so-ever. Smoking marijuana is good for some ailments, but for others the topical treatment really gets to the problem.

Lung Cleaner: smoking marijuana is the best way to clean the lungs of smog, dust, and phlegm associated with tobacco. People that have become addicted to tobacco have switched to marijuana smoking and find it is far better for their lungs and health in general. Marijuana is not addictive in the same way tobacco is – it can be done, without withdrawals.

Sleeping and relaxation: marijuana lowers blood pressure and dilates the arteries – relieves stress – creates a feeling of happiness and contentment. Most all conventional sleep and relaxants have bad long range effects, and many people complain about short range bad effects. Marijuana has no short or long range side effects. Heart Disease and Marijuana
Uses of Medical Marijuana
Marijuana and Medical Use
How to Use Medical Marijuana
Marijuana Medical Use
Marijuana depression click on the chart image below to see the full spectrum of marijuana’s therapeutic use.

Medical use of marijuana is so broad it is hard to imagine how or why the whole world of people would do without this most needed medicine.

If conventional medicine had a track record like medical marijuana, we would only need a few doctors because everybody would be healthy and laughing most all the time like they do when they are able to enjoy their marijuana. Happiness is getting the use of marijuana full time for everyone in the world.
Marijuana brain-marijuana and emphysema – marijuana and migraines – marijuana and appetite -marijuana Alzheimer’s- and many other ailments are treated today with the illegal medicine with good results and NO SIDE EFFECTS.

Conventional medicine, can’t make any claim their drugs won’t cause more medical problems than they cure. The side effects are so outrageous it is a wonder so many educated people are so passive as to accept such risky stuff they call medicine. The medical use of marijuana is getting more important to sick people all the time.

Medical marijuana research ,Marijuana is the most important medicine on the face of the earth – none other has ever come close! Medical Marijuana Uses are beneficial for any human immune system. Real medicine, for healing the ailments other kinds of medicine won’t begin to deal with.

Below is a reservoir of info. HR: 2306 & Hyperlinks:

Hyperlinks:

New Federal Bill put before the Congress to Repeal Marijuana Prohibition HR 2306:

Federal Marijuana Law:

Florida Marijuana Law:

Nationwide state by state – Marijuana Laws:

The Price to Keep Marijuana Illegal:

Medical Marijuana Directory:

Sincerely,

Rev. Frank Paul Jones