I found this post on WashingtonWatch via reddit and thought our readers would be interested in this tidbit of information.

H.R. 5843 is described as an "Act to Remove Federal Penalties for Personal Use of Marijuana by Responsible Adults". The bill has been introduced by US Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) and co-sponsored by US Presidential candidate Ron Paul (R-TX). If passed, this legislation would legalize the possession, use and non-for-profit of up to 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of Marijuana. Under this legislation, adults who consume Marijuana would no longer face arrest, prison or civil fines.

This bill will not affect federal laws prohibiting the sale of Marijuana for profit, nor the import, export and cultivation of Marijuana. It will also not alter the legal status of Marijuana as a Schedule 1 drug according to the Controlled Substances Act.

It seems that on 4/17/08 the act was referred to House committee as well as the Committee on Energy and Commerce, we will keep a close watch on this one. We'd have a kinder, gentler America with legalized Marijuana, as well as a cash surplus from taxing it.

"Not only should it be legalized, it should be mandatory." -Bill Hicks

It seems that Rep. Barney Frank was not joking when he said on HBO(story) that he would introduce a bill that would allow adults to possess up to 3.5 ounces of Marijuana for personal use.

"I do not believe that the federal government should treat adults who choose to smoke marijuana as criminals," Frank said in a statement, adding that it's "not appropriate in a free society."

It seems Frank's indulgences are limited to puffing on cigars between votes. He indicated last month on HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher that he does not smoke marijuana

This is the first time that Frank has pulled for the decriminalization of personal pot use since he was in the state Legislature in the 1970s.

"When I got to Congress, frankly, I was feeling more cautious," Frank told Maher. "I finally got to the point where I think I can get away with it."

Read the full story here. I think that Barney is right, we may be at a place in history that would allow the personal use of Marijuana by adults, legally.

There is a brief editorial on The Tufts Daily about the latest effort by New Hampshire to decriminalize small amounts of Marijuana. Here's a wee snip from the page:

The New Hampshire House of Representatives' recent passing of Bill 1623, which would decriminalize the possession of a quarter-ounce of marijuana or less, is a logical - if controversial - decision, and one that the Daily supports.

New Hampshire would be the 13th state to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana. Under current New Hampshire law, possession of a quarter-ounce of marijuana is punishable by a $2,000 fine and up to a year in jail - a punishment that supporters of the bill say is too harsh.

The number of states tolerating Marijuana is growing quickly, hopefully a sign of the times for post-Bush America.

mLive posted an article about the proposed bill that would allow access to Marijuana for sick people through the state of Michigan or pharmacies, but sale of the drug would remain a felony.

Supporters hope users would grow their own plants, but in the interim until harvest, the marijuana would have to be bought off the street.

``We've got people who will be legally able to possess marijuana, but then they're going to be buying it from someone who is committing a felony,'' said Joseph Taylor, commander of the Kalamazoo Valley Enforcement Team, which targets illegal drug use in Kalamazoo County. ``I don't support that. That's a loophole that needs to be changed.''

I agree, it is a loophole that needs to be changed. It was poorly written, this is just like the Marijuana tax act of 1937, if you had pot stamps you could have pot, but there was no way to get a stamp. It's great we're adding more states to the list of Marijuana tolerant places, but we could skip all of this if we just legalize small amounts of Marijuana for adults.

The Spectrum posted an op/ed piece as a follow up to Barney Frank's proposed end to Marijuana prohibition for adults in the US. It's a good read and gives a brief overview of how Marijuana became illegal:

Massachusetts Rep. Barney Frank is proposing a bill that would remove federal penalties for possession and use of small amounts of marijuana.

Why do we need a federal bill?

Because the rest of the country is far behind Alaska, California, Colorado, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Ohio and Oregon in decriminalizing the herb, with Michigan on the verge of approving a similar bill. We need a federal bill because we need to put an end to this fruitless, expensive prohibition once and for all.

Is legalizing Marijuana a reachable goal for the near future?

CelebStoner caught the latest episode of Real Time with Bill Maher and posted news about the future of Marijuana legalization.

It didn't come as a huge shock to Bill Maher when Rep. Barney Frank announced on Real Time (Mar. 21) he plans to "file a bill as soon as we go back to remove all penalties for small amounts of marijuana." Barney Frank The two clearly had talked about this before the show.

I've always loved Bill and his various shows and stand up routines, is what Barney says really true? Will we see a change in the way Marijuana is seen by the US Government? Thanks to winosaur for the link.

We're just full of opinion at Smokedot today, our next op/ed piece comes from Livingston Daily and asks: Give Legal Marijuana A Chance!

The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws rebukes the addiction claim, citing a 1999 U.S. Institutes of Medicine report that shows less than 1 in 10 of marijuana users become regular smokers.

Putting that into context, the study states 15 percent of alcohol consumers and 32 percent of tobacco users exhibit signs of drug dependence.

NORML also states you can't die directly from a marijuana overdose.

Then there is drugwarfacts.org, which states there are plenty of other things that kill more people each year than marijuana use.

In 2000, there were 435,000 tobacco-related deaths in the United States, 365,000 attributable to poor diet and inactivity and 85,000 linked to alcohol.

That poses the question: Should alcohol be banned again? How about tobacco? Maybe fast-food restaurants instead of marijuana?

Tobacco and alcohol kill people all the time, and they still schedule Marijuana with crack and ecstasy.

The Associated Press reports that a seven member government commission has been looking into changing the way Jamaica handles Marijuana posession.

"We have discussed it, and we are preparing a report to present to the prime minister," said Deputy Prime Minister Kenneth Baugh.

In 2003, a government commission recommended legalizing marijuana in small amounts for personal use. But lawmakers never acted, saying legalization might entail loss of their country's U.S. anti-drug certification. Countries that lose it face economic sanctions.

A U.S. State Department report Friday said that Jamaica is the largest producer of marijuana in the Caribbean and a major hub for drugs bound for the United States.

Will they risk losing their U.S. anti-drug certification? Let the Rasta's smoke.

I've been seriously slacking on news lately, so this is a little old. Check out Jack Herer.com for news on the California Cannabis Hemp & Health Initiative of 2008.

This initiative will legalize Cannabis Hemp for (a) industrial products, (b) medicinal preparations, (c) nutritional products, (d) religious and spiritual products, and (e) recreational and euphoric use and products.

It will also include amnesty, immediate release from prison, jail, parole, and probation, and clearing, expungement, and deletion of all criminal records for all persons currently charged with, or convicted of any non-violent cannabis hemp marijuana offense.

We're going to need 434,000 good signatures from registered California voters. This means that we'll need 700,000 to 750,000 signatures all together.

This is a very important time for all of us to stand together in solidarity and do what is right for humanity and for the world in which we live. If you are outraged that it is illegal to use this plant to heal the planet and to solve important global issues, then listen to your heart.

This is an important step, not just for Californians, but for the rest of the USA as well.

Those crazy kids at The Boston Herald have news that the residents of Boston are pushing for a more relaxed stance on Marijuana.

A showdown over whether to relax penalties for having small quantities of pot is advancing to Beacon Hill on two joint fronts as the state’s top prosecutors and anti-drug activists vow a fight in the latest marijuana slugfest.

The push to introduce a civil penalty system for pot possession is coming in the form of a ballot initiative almost entirely bankrolled by billionaire Democratic heavyweight George Soros and a Senate bill that has languished in the Legislature for years.

Two joint fronts? You have got to be kidding me. I smoke two joint fronts in the mornin' .. smoke two joint fronts at night!