I signed a petition that went to my Florida Senator Rubio asking for the federal legalization of marijuana. His response concerning how illegal drugs have a profound impact on many people makes my point. His letter and my response are below.
Dear Mr. BBA,
Thank you for contacting me regarding marijuana usage. I understand this is an important issue to you and I appreciate hearing your thoughts. Up front, let me say we disagree.
The use of illegal drugs has a profound impact on many people in our country, especially children. Drugs contribute to violent crime and enrich international crime organizations. More than that, they destroy lives and undermine our society. The federal government has an important role to play in combatting drug trafficking and the criminal organizations that benefit from it.
H.R. 499 the "Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2013", was introduced by Congressman Jared Polis of Colorado. This legislation seeks to remove marijuana from the list of Schedule I controlled substances. H.R. 499 has been referred to the House Subcommittee on Conservation, Energy, and Forestry. There is no companion legislation for H.R. 2306 in the Senate. I cannot support blanket legalization for marijuana and I would like to see more scientific research and data before changing the laws on medicinal marijuana.
It is an honor and a privilege to serve you as your United States Senator. I appreciate you offering your opinion on this issue. If I can ever be of any assistance to you in the future, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
Marco Rubio
United States Senator
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And my reply:
Senator Rubio,
The point is, because marijuana is illegal, it has a much more profound effect on people in our country. Because it is illegal it contributes to violent crime and enriches crime organizations. If you are in the majority of American citizens you have tried marijuana or have hundreds of acquaintances who have tried and/or are currently using marijuana. The science is in, marijuana has been heavily used for at least 40 years by all manner of our citizens and 100’s of years by Native Americans. Your response is absurd and is similar to your stance on climate change. The science is in and you won’t accept it because of your corporate handlers.
BBA