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Cortes , Director of CCA , released the following statement: “The co-sponsors of the new Mexico legislation share our strong commitment to legalizing marijuana. I appreciate the President, Secretary Pena Nieto, and Speaker Lopez Obrador’s leadership in pushing for a change that they also believe is the right thing to do. The bipartisan Congressional Leaders Task Force, which just met for the first time, will continue to push for an approach to legalization that makes sense for our country. The Task Force supports a states-based approach to legalization, which preserves the jobs, economic growth, and job creation benefits that come with the removal of criminal penalties. I will continue to work with my colleagues in Congress and the Administration to build bipartisan support for the appropriate legislation for our country.”
“This task force is an important step towards determining the best path for our country on legalization of marijuana. However, our national policies should not be limited to the proposals that are put forward in the Mexico legislation. We expect the Task Force to consider proposals for national legalization of marijuana from other countries. We stand with our allies in supporting a reasoned approach that would ensure that no one is punished for using marijuana. We urge the Task Force to have open and robust discussions on marijuana legalization. The United States Congress must also act to eliminate the federal prohibition of marijuana. Even in states that have legalized marijuana, federal law continues to ban marijuana possession, and the dangers of the drug have only worsened,” said Republican Congressman Tom McClintock.
Rep. Ron Paul also released a statement: “It’s time for us to stop fighting each other for what would be a mutually beneficial policy of legalizing marijuana. A bipartisan approach to legalization would allow us to work on implementing our own marijuana policies, eliminate federal interference in state marijuana laws, and eliminate the discrimination of marijuana laws that unfairly target minorities. The legalization of marijuana may be only one small step in a much longer battle to be fought. But if we can agree to support it, it would go a long way towards bringing our nation closer to establishing a constitutional government that works for us, not against us. I support President Obama, the President of Mexico, and the Mexican legislators who call for the legalization of marijuana.”