{"bills":[{"photos":{"featured":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/hr493-116/featured_sensible-enforcement-of-cannabis-act-of-2019-1550766277.jpg","featured_large":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/hr493-116/featured_large_sensible-enforcement-of-cannabis-act-of-2019-1550766277.jpg","shareable":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/bills/hr493-116.png"},"introduced_on":"2019-01-11","title_override":"Protecting Residents of States With Legal Marijuana From Federal Prosecution","summary_override":"

This bill, the Sensible Enforcement of Cannabis Act of 2019, would prohibit the U.S. Dept. of Justice (DOJ) from prosecuting individuals engaged in activities relating to medical or recreational cannabis permitted under state law under most circumstances.

Prosecution could still occur in the following instances:

Distribution of cannabis to minors;
Revenue from the sale of cannabis going to criminal enterprises, gangs, and cartels;
Diversion of cannabis from states where it’s legal under state law to other states, where it remains illegal;
State-authorized cannabis activity being used as a cover or pretext for the trafficking of other illegal drugs or other illegal activity;
Violence and the use of firearms in the cultivation and distribution of cannabis;
Drugged driving and the exacerbation of other adverse public health consequences associated with cannabis use;
Growing of cannabis on public lands and the attendant public safety and environmental dangers posed by cannabis production on public lands; and
Cannabis possession or use on federal property.

","official_title":"To direct the Attorney General, in enforcing the provisions of the Controlled Substances Act relating to marijuana, to focus on certain enforcement priorities.","short_title":"Sensible Enforcement of Cannabis Act of 2019","popular_title":null,"short_summary":"","summarized":true,"cost":null,"cost_commentary":"A CBO cost estimate is unavailable.","impact":"Residents of states with legal marijuana; states that have legalized marijuana; federal law enforcement; and the DOJ.","argument_for":"Residents of states that have legalized marijuana — either for medical or recreational use — were protected from prosecution under federal until January 2018, when AG Jeff Sessions rescinded an Obama-era memo on the issue. This bill merely brings that Obama-era memo back into effect.","argument_against":"Since marijuana is still illegal at the federal level, it makes sense that the DOJ should remain able to prosecute people — including residents of states that have legalized marijuana — for marijuana use or possession under federal law.","bill_type":"hr","published":true,"type":"FederalBill","id":"hr493-116","bill_id":"hr493-116","formal_id":"H.R. 493","chamber":"house","congress":116,"last_action_at":"2019-01-11T00:00:00.000Z","active":false,"enacted":false,"enacted_at":null,"vetoed":false,"last_vote_at":null,"debated_on":null,"congress_url":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/493","plain_text_url":null,"shareable_image_url":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/bills/hr493-116.png","congress_full_text_url":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/493/text","is_current_congress":false,"last_version_on":null,"related_bill_ids":null,"progress":"Introduced","house_passage_result":false,"senate_passage_result":false,"position_count":726,"committees":[{"name":"Committee on the Judiciary","chamber":"house","committee_id":"HSJU","subcommittee":false}],"links":{"rollCalls":"/api/roll_calls?bill_id=hr493-116","details":"/api/bills/hr493-116/details","sharingMessage":"/api/sharing_messages/hr493-116","positionsFor":"/api/bills/hr493-116/positions/for","positionsAgainst":"/api/bills/hr493-116/positions/against"},"upcoming":false,"cosponsors_count":9,"slug":"hr493-116-sensible-enforcement-of-cannabis-act-of-2019","latest_chamber_votes_id":null,"official_url":null,"target_video":true,"following":false,"vote_count":4167,"yea_vote_count":3744,"nay_vote_count":407,"passed_house":false,"passed_senate":false,"vote_id":null,"my_position_id":null,"topic_ids":["crime-and-police"],"issue_ids":["crime-and-police","marijuana-legalization","federal-agencies","states"],"sponsor_id":1474}],"votes":[],"issues":[{"id":"crime-and-police","name":"Crime & Police","slug":"crime-and-police","description":"Federal legislation related to the prevention of crimes(from assault to organized crime to juvenile crime), firearms and explosives, correctional facilities and terrorism. Make your voice heard about the issues you care about.","page_title":"Crime Prevention Legislation - Vote on Bills, Stay informed, Hold Your Reps Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/crime-and-police/black_crime-and-police-1429042040.svg","grey":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/crime-and-police/grey_crime-and-police-1429042040.svg","white":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/crime-and-police/white_crime-and-police-1429042040.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false},{"id":"marijuana-legalization","name":"Marijuana Legalization","slug":"marijuana-legalization","description":"Federal legislation that covers the marijuana - legalization, penatlies, regulation and taxation. Numerous states have now legalized marijuana - how does federal law interact.","page_title":"Legislation regarding the Legalization of Marijuana and penalties - Inform your reps how you feel","icons":{"black":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/marijuana-legalization/black_marijuana-legalization-1429042047.svg","grey":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/marijuana-legalization/grey_marijuana-legalization-1429042047.svg","white":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/marijuana-legalization/white_marijuana-legalization-1429042047.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false},{"id":"federal-agencies","name":"Federal Agencies","slug":"federal-agencies","description":"Vote on the latest federal legislation regarding Federal Agencies. Make your voice heard about the issues you care about. \r\n","page_title":"Federal Agencies Legislation - Vote on Bills, Stay informed, Hold Your Reps Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/federal-agencies/black_federal-agencies-1429042054.svg","grey":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/federal-agencies/grey_federal-agencies-1429042054.svg","white":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/federal-agencies/white_federal-agencies-1429042054.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false},{"id":"states","name":"States","slug":"states","description":"Vote on the latest federal legislation regarding States. Make your voice heard about the issues you care about. \r\n","page_title":"States Legislation - Vote on Bills, Stay informed, Hold Your Reps Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/states/black_states-1453508817.svg","grey":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/states/grey_states-1453508817.svg","white":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/states/white_states-1453508817.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false}],"users":[{"name":"Jack","vote_count":152,"photos":{"large":"https://graph.facebook.com/10212125019739593/picture?width=150&height=150","small":"https://graph.facebook.com/10212125019739593/picture?width=75&height=75","tiny":"https://graph.facebook.com/10212125019739593/picture?width=20&height=20","facebook":"https://graph.facebook.com/10212125019739593/picture"},"links":{"following":"/api/users/e9X3Lv7m/following","followers":"/api/users/e9X3Lv7m/followers"},"about_me":null,"twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":null,"youtube_id":null,"google_plus_id":null,"website":null,"slug":null,"issue_count":17,"is_following":null,"influence_score":60,"influence_level":20,"follower_count":2,"following_count":6,"position_count":133,"id":"e9X3Lv7m","partner_id":null}],"bill_position":{"flagged":false,"id":"731765fc-5103-4df7-8369-fc71b7a87903","argument_for":null,"argument_against":null,"show_argument_for":false,"show_argument_against":false,"upvote_count":0,"upvotes_for_count":null,"upvotes_against_count":null,"has_upvoted":false,"endorsement_count":0,"links":{"self":"https://www.causes.com/positions/731765fc-5103-4df7-8369-fc71b7a87903"},"body":"Legalized marijuana is a good thing to do, take the crime out of it, put it in a controlled environment and control quantity and quality!","stance":"impartial","created_at":"2019-02-22T01:20:06.206Z","shareable_image_url":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/positions/731765fc-5103-4df7-8369-fc71b7a87903.png","note_color":null,"note_text":null,"bill_id":"hr493-116","user_id":"e9X3Lv7m","endorser_ids":[]}}

Like Causes?

Jack

Protecting Residents of States With Legal Marijuana From Federal Prosecution