Thank you for contacting me regarding the use and decriminalization of marijuana. I sincerely appreciate hearing from you on this issue.

The Supreme Court decision in Gonzales v. Raich regarding medical marijuana made it clear that the U.S. Congress has the authority to regulate the use of marijuana within the states. Any change to the drug laws to allow medical marijuana would require a change in law passed by Congress and signed by the President.

While I am a strong believer in personal freedom, I do not support the recreational or medical use of illegal drugs regardless of whether the drug is marijuana, cocaine, or any other illegal substance. Congress has made decisions to protect our nation from certain illegal drugs, and allowing each state to make its own decision would adversely affect the protections that exist against those substances.

Hearing the views of all Georgians gives me the opportunity to better understand how important issues could impact the people of Georgia and the future interests of the nation. As your representative, I appreciate your opinion. Unfortunately, this is one of the issues I feel strongly about and I cannot support legislation to decriminalize marijuana use.

Thanks again for taking the time to contact me. For additional information regarding current legislation and the Third District, I invite you to visit my website at http://www.house.gov/westmoreland.

Sincerely,
Lynn A Westmoreland
Member of Congress