By Eric W. Dolan
Wednesday, May 25th, 2011 -- 9:18 pm
rawstory.com
Congressman Pete Stark (D-CA), Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) and Congressman Jared Polis (D-CO) introduced legislation to the House on Wednesday aimed at ensuring the medical marijuana industry is treated like any other business.
The legislation was supported by Republican Reps. Dana Rohrabacher (CA) and Ron Paul (TX).
The Small Business Tax Equity Act, introduced by Stark, authorizes medical marijuana dispensaries to take the full range of business expense deductions on their federal tax returns, like other legal businesses are allowed to.
"Our tax code undercuts legal medical marijuana dispensaries by preventing them from taking all the deductions allowed for other small businesses,” Stark stated. “While unfair to these small business owners, the tax code also punishes the patients who rely on them for safe and reliable access to medical marijuana prescribed by a doctor."
Fifteen states and the District of Colombia have passed laws permitting marijuana to be used as medicine.
Another bill, introduced by Frank, would make individuals and business immune to federal prosecution if they are acting in compliance with local marijuana laws. Additionally, the legislation would direct the White House to reschedule marijuana under the Controlled Substances Act so that it is no longer considered a highly addictive substance with no medical value.
Marijuana is currently listed as a schedule I drug, the most restrictive schedule with the greatest criminal penalties.
“The time has come for the federal government to stop preempting states’ medical marijuana laws,” Frank said. “For the federal government to come in and supersede state law is a real mistake for those in pain for whom nothing else seems to work. This bill would block the federal prosecution of those patients who reside in those states that allow medical marijuana.”
Lastly, legislation introduced by Polis would ensure that medical marijuana businesses that are state-certified have full access to banking services.
“When a small business, such as a medical marijuana dispensary, can’t access basic banking services they either have to become cash-only—and become targets of crime—or they’ll end up out-of-business,” Polis said. “In states that have legalized medical marijuana, and for businesses that have been state-approved, it is simply wrong for the federal government to intrude and threaten banks that are involved in legal transactions.
American Express is no longer allowing transactions to be processed at medical marijuana dispensaries nationwide. A spokesperson said the company made the decision to not allow its credit cards to be accepted for medical marijuana because it is their "policy to adhere to the federal law in such matters."
“It is quite obvious the federal war on drugs is a disaster," Paul added. "Respect for states’ rights means that different policies can be tried in different states and we can see which are the most successful. This legislation is a step in the right direction as it removes a major federal road block impeding businesses that states have determined should be allowed within their borders.”
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
About Me
Blog Archive
-
▼
2011
(1028)
-
▼
May
(93)
- ‘Malintent detection’ technology tested in the nor...
- US News and World Report Poll
- NY Times Applies 'Damage Control' and attacks Inde...
- Shale Boom in Texas Could Increase U.S. Oil Output
- Coal Chamber - Sway
- Dope - You Spin Me Round
- Holly Bobo - Amanda Barnes Hicks and the Donation ...
- Close Call for Meteorologist David Payne
- Oregon Senator Wyden freezes second Internet censo...
- Midnight Movie - Rosemary's Baby (1968)
- Greatful Dead - Truckin
- Utah lawmaker seeks to limit TSA pat-downs
- Oath Keepers Rally to Honor Jose Guerena and Oppos...
- How to Destroy Angels: The Space in Between
- Obama extends Patriot Act’s emergency powers four ...
- Great American War Machine Rolls On Under Obama
- Two Black Helicopters - Jet with Escort
- Political Battle Lines - Pro Constitution vs Anti-...
- House Democrats introduce three medical marijuana ...
- Getting Passport About To Get Harder
- Financial Terrorism: TSA Holds Texas Flights Hostage
- Ron Paul Bumpersticker Gets Man Kicked Out of Nati...
- Survivors Emerge From Destroyed Oklahoma Home
- Supreme Court orders California to free 40,000 pri...
- Senators Leahy, Paul propose expanded oversight of...
- Seether - Country Song
- Organ trafficking: 'Her heart was missing'
- 10 Ways ‘The Police State’ Tracks You
- Protect IP Act threatens the Internet, blogs that ...
- Ron Paul: U.S. may try to occupy Pakistan
- Abbottabad Neighbor Claims Bin Laden Raid Was Botched
- Gary Johnson: Time's up in Libya, Mr. President
- CIA chief’s letter confirms torture did not lead t...
- Judgment Day! May 21, 2011
- Sneaky TSA jet Stowaway
- US Marine Shot & Killed By SWAT Team For No Reason
- Conspiracy Theory With Jesse Ventura - Apocalypse ...
- America Deceived II (Free Preview)
- Birther Bombshell: Corsi To Release Evidence Provi...
- Mysterious Booms
- USA - Leave us Alone - Pakistan
- The Obama Deception: Why Cornel West Went Ballistic
- Exploding Melons in China
- Hand-Holding Controversy At Pompano High School/ H...
- Pakistan Troops, NATO Helicopters Clash at Border
- The Black Keys - Howlin' For You (Official Video)
- Black Market Bulbs
- Trailer: Webster Tarpley and Elite’s plan for glob...
- Congress To Vote On Declaration of Worldwide Perpe...
- Illinois Handgun-Carrying Ban Challenged in Federa...
- Five Finger Death Punch - Bad Company
- Ron Paul 2012 favorite?
- Judge wants FBI to explain possibly missing Oklaho...
- Do You Believe Everything You See on the News?
- Police investigating massive food fight at Springf...
- Friday 13th Part 3 with Laugh Track
- Court: No right to resist illegal cop entry into home
- Osama bin Laden Raid was "not an assassination"
- Judge Napolitano : A Message to the President!
- Al Qaeda Bad - Al Qaeda Good - Libya Gets 35 Billi...
- Italians evacuate Rome over 'big one' fears
- Report: Bin Laden Already Dead
- Will Secession Be On The Ballot In Tuscon, Arizona?
- The Unwisdom of Elites
- Community A Fistful of Paintballs - Clip
- NYC store owner pole dances to boost sales
- Thousands Fill Streets of Mexico City to Protest W...
- More Doctors Smoke Camels Than Any Other Cigarette
- ZZ Top - Mexican Blackbird
- PSYOP
- CIA unit's wacky idea: Depict Saddam as gay
- Osama's Ear Apparently Run Over by Steamroller
- Beer Bottle Solar Hot Water Heater
- Jim Marrs
- Bill Cooper Predicts 9/11
- Flashback 2007 - Al Gore's 'Inconvenient Truth'? ...
- Redlight King - Old Man
- Why They Had To Kill Osama
- Police Brutality on a 15 Year Old Girl
- 9/11 - Mind Control and You - Have You Been Brainw...
- Feds Issue Terror Advisory Based on Info Allegedly...
- Rage Against The Machine - Guerrilla Radio
- Was Osama a pothead? Marijuana found growing along...
- Staged: White House “Situation Room” Photos Part O...
- Pakistan - United States - China
- Basers - Truthers - Thinkers and the Osama Fairytale
- Osama Bin Laden is dead and has been for many years
- Arrest of Homeless Connecticut Woman for Enrolling...
- 2011 Prophecy
- Obama Indonesian citizenship makes Obama ineligibl...
- The Dirt on Obama
- Ask Yourself: Are you Better Off Since Obama Becam...
- The Sting
-
▼
May
(93)
No comments:
Post a Comment