WASHINGTON   –  U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson (MO-08) today said the Obama Administration’s decision to refrain from federal prosecution of cultivation, distribution and use of “medicinal” marijuana is an irresponsible and unnecessary step that makes the difficult job of law enforcement even harder.

“There is no way to separate one small part of the drug trade from the rest of a dangerous system of manufacturing, trafficking, selling and using illegal drugs for any number of other reasons.  Federal law clearly states that marijuana is an illegal drug, and there is no federally-accepted medicinal purpose for the drug.  It sets a dangerous precedent to pick and choose which laws we want to enforce on illegal drugs,” Emerson said.

Emerson noted that Americans who wish to use marijuana for medicinal purposes already have the benefits of obtaining the active agent in the drug through a prescribed pill, Marinol, which contains synthetic THC.

“Let’s say a neighboring state, like Illinois, would legalize medicinal marijuana.  We could easily have a legalized means of production right across the river from Missouri, and there is no question that the marijuana production in Illinois would feed the illegal drug trade in our state.  It is very important to uphold the federal laws that allow us to prosecute the interstate trafficking of marijuana and other dangerous drugs,” Emerson said. 

Emerson is an advocate for law enforcement partnerships and drug task forces in Missouri.  She annually garners federal funds for those purposes in the Eighth Congressional District, and she also works for the inclusion of funds for the Byrne/JAG grant program, which funds law enforcement and prosecution efforts for drug crimes.

“Thanks to the hard work and dedication of our law enforcement community, we are making lots of progress in stopping the spread of illegal drug activity,” Emerson said.  “It is totally irresponsible to put those men and women in the field at risk so we can apprehend drug criminals, and then turn around and not prosecute anyone.”