Supporting the Removal of Illicit Marijuana on Federal Lands

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, this resolution is seemingly innocuous, for who in this body would be against illicit agriculture on our Federal lands, and yet it gives you reason to wonder why we're not facing a crisis of illicit corn production, illicit potato production, illicit tobacco production on our Federal lands of the magnitude of the crisis of marijuana production involved with criminal enterprises on our Federal lands. This resolution only serves to perpetuate this failed policy of prohibition, which has led to the rise of the criminal production of marijuana on Federal lands.

The gentleman from California said that the Federal Government must do more to confront this threat. I would submit that the Federal Government can do more by doing less. My home State of Colorado, the gentleman's home State of California, many other States have legalized and allowed for the medical use of marijuana, the production of marijuana, in a regulated capacity. The American public is split and a number of States continue to consider legalization for other uses as well. But as long as it remains illegal and as long as there is a market demand, the production will be driven underground. No matter how much we throw at enforcement, it will continue to be a threat not only to our Federal lands, but to our border security and to our safety within our country.

The resolution states that, Whereas, Mexican drug traffickers use the revenue generated from marijuana production on Federal lands to support criminal activities, including human trafficking and illicit weapons smuggling, and to foster political unrest in Mexico. It is estimated that about half of the money that the Mexico cartels obtain is through the marijuana trade. Yes, by eliminating the failed policy of prohibition with regard to marijuana and replacing it with regulation we can cut the money to the criminal gangs by half--half the human trafficking, half the illicit weapons trafficking, half the casualties of the drug war--by focusing on the hard narcotic substances that are addictive and have enslaved a generation of youth.

I have no doubt that marijuana plantations, as the resolution states, pose a threat to the environmental health of Federal lands, that drug traffickers spray unregulated chemicals, pesticides, and fertilizers, but I submit that the best way to address that is to incorporate this into a meaningful and enforceable agricultural policy for the country with regard to the regulatory structure for the production of marijuana.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source