Thank you for taking the time to contact me regarding H.R. 5843, the Act to Remove Federal Penalties for the Personal Use of Marijuana by Responsible Adults. Your input is important to me, and I appreciate the time you took to share your thoughts.
I understand your viewpoint that we should decriminalize marijuana. However, I believe that marijuana is a gateway drug -- one of the most commonly abused illicit drugs in our country. Marijuana use can result in significant health problems, and I do not agree with the viewpoint that marijuana users are not part of the problem. I also do not agree with the statement that our law enforcement should be targeting more serious crimes. Drug use, I believe, is a serious issue that we must address to prevent our future generations from ending up in jail on drug-related offenses. People that use this drug are breaking the law and they should be held accountable.
Despite your opinion that marijuana should be legal, the court systems in our nation have continued to view marijuana as an illegal substance. I know that decriminalizing marijuana has been taken up by individual states, and some of our states have legalized the drug for medicinal reasons. I contend that legalizing marijuana would be harmful to our society, and that doing so would put more people at risk. While I appreciate your input, I do not support the legalization of marijuana.
Again, thank you for taking the time to contact me on this important issue. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future should you need any further assistance.
