Medical Marijuana vote

I was pretty upset with my representative’s (Jerry Weller) vote on the HInchey-Rohrabacher amendment. I not only called his office to express my displeasure, but wrote a letter to the Pantagraph, which should be published soon (I haven’t seen it yet).
Clearly I’m not the only one upset with Congress. Check out this scathing editorial in the Las Vegas Review-Journal yesterday:

What was appalling, on the other hand, was to see Nevada’s third representative — supposed conservative and constitutionalist Jim Gibbons — rise to vote against his own constituents, against common sense, against medical compassion and against the Constitution.

Although he “supports states’ rights,” Rep.æ Gibbons declared, “the regulation of narcotics and other drugs falls under the authority of the federal government.æ It is a matter of public safety and public health.”

Go back and read Article I, Section 8.æ There’s no authorization for the federal government to concern itself with “public health and safety” — which is why your police department, your fire department, and your local Health Department are all county or municipal entities.

Rep.æ Gibbons has surprised and shocked many Nevadans.æ Can it really be he’s no constitutionalist at all — that he’s really just in favor of the federal bullies going anywhere they want, doing anything they want, regardless of how they trample the rights of the states and the expressed will of the people?

What other extraconstitutional powers would he bestow on our brand new federal police forces under this ginned-up rubric of “public health and safety”? We hesitate even to ask.

Nice editorial!