Some members of Congress push president on marijuana legalization

On Wednesday 18 members of Congress issued a letter to President Barack Obama calling for an end to the current federal policy on marijuana use.
According to MSNBC, Democratic Rep. Earl Blumenauer of Oregon, along with 17 other Democrats and Republican Rep. Dana Rohrabacher of California, requested that the President reconsider the Controlled Substance Act of 1970 that classifies marijuana in the same category, designated “Schedule 1,” as heroin and MDMA. In the letter, the draftees build upon recent remarks from the President and current public sentiment.
“Lives and resources are wasted on enforcing harsh, unrealistic, and unfair marijuana laws.”
The Huffington Post reports that Blumenauer rallied members to his cause last month. The final part of the letter asks the President to have Attorney General Eric Holder delist the current classification, which Blumenauer acknowledges is well within their power in a Wednesday press statement.
"The first step is to reschedule marijuana, which the Administration can do unilaterally. We can't let this arbitrary and incorrect bureaucratic classification ruin any more lives."
So far legalization has found support from Democratic candidates in Texas, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. It will be a pressing issue for others running in Congressional elections this fall.
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