Gay congressman pushes marijuana legalization

“You folks in Washington and my friends in Colorado really upset the apple cart,” Blumenauer told the AP. “We’re still arresting two-thirds of a million people for use of a substance that a majority feel should be legal. … It’s past time for us to step in and try to sort this stuff out.”

Recent studies suggest that Americans are becoming more supportive of the legalization effort. Polis and Blumenauer are building on momentum created by former U.S. Reps. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) and Ron Paul (R-Texas.). Both Paul and Frank retired at the end of the last congressional session after introducing a legalization effort.

President Barack Obama has signaled a willingness to relax federal penalties on marijuana growers and sellers in states that have pushed legalization efforts. The president, however, has resisted a call for across the board legalization.

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Top photo: U.S. Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.) (official photo)