IA

105TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. J. RES. 117

Expressing the sense of Congress that marijuana is a dangerous and addictive

drug and should not be legalized for medicinal use.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

APRIL 30, 1998

Mr. MCCOLLUM (for himself, Mr. HASTERT, Mr. PORTMAN, Mr. COBLE, Mr.

BUYER, Mr. CHABOT, Mr. BARR of Georgia, Mr. HUTCHINSON, and Mr.

GEKAS) introduced the following joint resolution; which was referred to

the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on

Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker,

in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

JOINT RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of Congress that marijuana is a dangerous and addictive drug and should not be legalized

for medicinal use.

Whereas certain drugs are listed on Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act if they have a high potential for

abuse, lack any currently accepted medical use in treatment, and are unsafe, even under medical supervision;

Whereas the consequences of addiction to Schedule I drugs

are well documented, particularly with regard to physical

health, highway safety, criminal activity, and domestic violence;
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Whereas marijuana—which, along with crack cocaine, heroin,

PCP, and more than 100 other drugs, has long been classified as a Schedule I drug—is both dangerous and addictive, with research clearly demonstrating that smoked

marijuana impairs normal brain functions and damages

the heart, lungs, reproductive system, and immune system;

Whereas before any drug can be approved as a medication in

the United States, it must meet extensive scientific and

medical standards established by the Food and Drug Administration, and marijuana has not been approved by

the Food and Drug Administration to treat any disease

or condition;

Whereas a review by the Annals of Internal Medicine of more

than 6,000 articles from the medical literature evaluating

the potential medicinal applications of marijuana concluded that marijuana is not a medicine, that its use

causes significant toxicity, and that numerous safe and

effective medicines are available, which means that the

use of crude marijuana for medicinal purposes is unnecessary and inappropriate;

Whereas on the basis of the scientific evidence and the testimony of the American Medical Association, the American

Cancer Society, the National Multiple Sclerosis Association, the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the National Eye Institute, and the National Institute of Drug

Abuse, marijuana has not met the necessary standards to

be approved as medicine;

Whereas the States of Arizona and California, through State

initiatives in 1996, legalized the sale and use of marijuana for ‘‘medicinal’’ use, while the State of Washington
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in 1997 rejected an initiative to legalize the sale and use

of marijuana for ‘‘medicinal’’ use;

Whereas after the initiative in Arizona, the legislature of the

State of Arizona, with the support of a majority of the

citizens of the State, passed legislation to prevent the dispensing of any substance as medicine if the substance

had not first been approved as medicine by the Food and

Drug Administration, thereby preventing marijuana from

being dispensed in the State;

Whereas these States and a majority of States in the United

States, as well as the District of Columbia, have been

targeted by out-of-State organizations that advocate drug

legalization for ‘‘medical’’ marijuana initiatives in 1998

and 1999, and these organizations have provided the majority of the financial support for these State initiatives;

Whereas although some individuals and organizations who

support ‘‘medical’’ marijuana initiatives do oppose drug

legalization, prominent pro-legalization organizations

have admitted that their strategy is to promote drug legalization nationally through State ‘‘medical’’ marijuana

initiatives, and, as such, are seeking to exploit the

public’s compassion for the terminally ill to advance their

agenda;

Whereas marijuana use by 8th, 10th, and 12th graders declined steadily from 1980 to 1992, but, from 1992 to

1996, such use dramatically increased—by 253 percent

among 8th graders, 151 percent among 10th graders,

and 84 percent among 12th graders—and the average

age of first-time use of marijuana is now younger than

it has ever been;
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Whereas according to the 1997 survey by the Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University,

500,000 8th graders began using marijuana in the 6th

and 7th grades;

Whereas according to that same 1997 survey, youths between

the ages of 12 and 17 who use marijuana are 85 times

more likely to use cocaine than those who abstain from

marijuana and 60 percent of adolescents who use marijuana before the age of 15 will later use cocaine;

Whereas the rate of drug use among youth is linked to their

perceptions of the risks related to drugs and, in that regard, the glamorization of marijuana and the ambiguous

cultural messages about marijuana use are contributing

to a growing acceptance of marijuana use among adolescents and teenagers;

Whereas surveys taken in the wake of State ‘‘medical’’ marijuana initiatives indicate a more approving attitude toward marijuana use among teenagers than prior to the

initiatives; and

Whereas the evidence of the last 2 years indicates that the

more the public learns about the facts behind the ‘‘medical’’ marijuana campaign, the more strongly opposed the

public becomes to such initiatives: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives

2 of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 That—

4 (1) Congress is unequivocally opposed to legal5 izing marijuana for medicinal use, and urges the de6 feat of State initiatives that would seek to legalize

7 marijuana for medicinal use; and
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1 (2) not later than 90 days after the date of en2 actment of this Act, the Attorney General shall sub3 mit to the Committees on the Judiciary of the

4 House of Representatives and the Senate a report

5 on—

6 (A) the total quantity of marijuana eradi7 cated in the United States during the years

8 1992 through 1997; and

9 (B) the annual number of arrests and

10 prosecutions for Federal marijuana offenses

11 during the years 1992 through 1997.

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