Ex-Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) went to a lecture at a cannabis expo in San Bernadino in 2016, and it changed his life.
After using cannabis-infused wax for the first time to alleviate his arthritis pain, he slept soundly and undisturbed for the first time in two years. Rohrabacher applied the wax to his arm, and while it didn’t make him high, it did help him sleep through the night without experiencing any pain.
As a result, he is now the only prominent conservative in Congress who is actively advocating for reforming marijuana regulations. Since at least the 1970s, no serving member of the United States Congress had come forward to admit using cannabis while in office until Rohrabacher did so.
He supported and helped author legislation that would have barred the US Department of Justice from interfering with medical marijuana programs run by individual states.
The District of Columbia and 39 other states have passed laws permitting the use of medical marijuana as of February 2021. Only cannabidiol oil for medical purposes has been allowed in the following five states: Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, and Wisconsin. Australia, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, and Poland are among the additional 13 nations that have approved medical marijuana. 1
Though Rohrabacher’s home state of California has legalized medical marijuana, federal law still prohibits the drug. Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act includes only the most dangerous narcotics, such as heroin, and marijuana is included in this category.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and Congress both agree that marijuana has no recognized medical purpose and considerable potential for addiction. Despite the growing body of evidence suggesting that medical marijuana can effectively treat chronic pain, muscle stiffness, and other diseases, the federal government has come to the opposite conclusion. 2
Rohrabacher introduced the Respect State Marijuana Laws Act for the third time on February 7, 2017. The goal of this bill is to shield people who abide by their state’s marijuana regulations from federal prosecution under the Controlled Substances Act. Many consider this law to be Rohrabacher’s crowning legislative achievement. 2 To his cause, 46 other lawmakers signed on as co-sponsors.
The bill forbids the Justice Department from using federal funds to interfere with legal medical cannabis programs at the state level.
According to Rohrabacher, the medical cannabis sector stands to gain $6 billion from the proposed amendment. 2 He stressed that the amendment’s potential revenue might be used to pay for more police officers and judges, as well as to reduce the cost of imprisoning people for cannabis possession.
Rohrabacher suggested that the money would be better spent addressing problems at the local level, such as improving environmental and social safety.
In addition, he advocated for a federal policy that would preclude the US Department of Justice from challenging states’ rights to legalize medical marijuana. Rohrabacher supported the Adult Usage of Marijuana Act, a ballot measure to legalize marijuana use in California, in April 2016.
He highlighted in interviews that marijuana can help people with a wide range of medical issues, including children with epilepsy, the elderly with loss of appetite or pain, and people trying to break their opiate addictions.
Rohrabacher, who was unsuccessful in his quest for reelection in 2018, has said that he hopes adults will be given wider access to cannabis since it is a “way out” for individuals but not an invitation for opioid addiction. 2
