Rep. Frank ‘disappointed’ in Obama administration position on marijuana

Frank rejected arguments against the amendment to give states leeway to set their own rules. He said Republicans who might normally support states’ rights often flee from this issue, and reject arguments that teenagers would start using the drug simply because they see adults using it for medical purposes.

{mosads}”They’ll see liquor stores,” he said. “They’ll see many more liquor stores than marijuana centers. The notion that because something is inappropriate for a teenager or a child, adults should not be allowed to use it, is mindlessness.”

Frank also dismissed the idea that marijuana serves no medical purpose. “The federal government now becomes the arbiter who tells the states, you may not make that judgement that is has medical value?” he asked.

Frank and other members were debating an amendment from Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.) to give states the flexibility to set their own rules on medical marijuana. Frank praised Rohrabacher for possess an “intellectual consistency” that allows him to put forward this language while other Republicans fight against it.

Another Republican, Frank Wolf (Va.), said the language would set the wrong example for children, and when pressed on the states’ rights argument by Frank, said that not every activity should be permitted simply because some states support it.

“If a state said that sexual trafficking is okay, would we honor that and say that we’re not going to protect [people]? I would hope not,” he said.

Rohrabacher’s amendment is to H.R. 5326, the 2013 spending bill for the Departments of Justice and Commerce and other agencies. A vote on this and other late amendments were expected late Wednesday night.