John Barrasso on Drugs Republican Jr Senator

Rated F by NORML: no medical marijuana

NORML Politician Info: rated F
• Candidate: John Barrasso (R-WY) Holds office U.S. Senate; Candidate for Senate on August 20, 2024
• Summary: NO MEDICAL USE
• Comments:
• He wrote in a constituent letter that he understands "the impact of a life-long struggle with pain on people's lives, but there remain legal and proven ways to safely address those concerns as opposed to the unfettered use of any cannabidiol or marijuana product." (2022)
• "Q: Does our demand for drugs motivate the Mexican drug gangs?
  BARRASSO: I really do not ever approve of this 'let's blame Americans first' approach. These are narcotic traffickers. It is a network of criminals, and we need to do everything we can to disrupt the entire network. If they weren't moving drugs, the same criminal networks would just do another form of crime to try to make profits." (3/26/2009)

Make criminals pay for their meth lab mess

Barrasso is the lead Republican sponsor of S. 2100, the "Federal Emergency Meth Lab Cleanup Funding Act of 2007." The bill would make the U.S. Department of Treasury Forfeiture Fund (TFF) available to help property owners clean up contaminated meth lab sites. The TFF is a special account that houses seized criminal funds--from drug cartels to terrorist organizations.

"We must work together to prevent and treat substance abuse," Barrasso added. "We must also deal with the additional consequences of meth production and distribution. Meth lab clean-ups are very expensive and could put our small motel owners and landlords out of business."

Rated F by NORML, indicating a "hard-on-drugs" stance.

OnTheIssues.org interprets the 2016 NORML scores as follows:

• C-/D/F: `hard-on-drugs` stance (approx. 243 members)
• C: mixed record on drug reform (approx. 45 members)
• A/B: pro-drug-reform stance (approx. 293 members)

National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Law`s mission is to move public opinion sufficiently to achieve the repeal of marijuana prohibition so that the responsible use of cannabis by adults is no longer subject to penalty.

NORML is a nonprofit, public-interest lobby that for more than 30 years has provided a voice for those Americans who oppose marijuana prohibition. We represent the interests of the tens of millions of Americans who smoke marijuana responsibly and believe the recreational and medicinal use of marijuana should no longer be a crime.

NORML supports the removal of all criminal penalties for the private possession & responsible use of marijuana by adults, including the cultivation for personal use, and the casual nonprofit transfers of small amounts. This model is called `decriminalization.`

NORML additionally supports the development of a legally controlled market for marijuana, where consumers could purchase it from a safe, legal and regulated source. This model is referred to as `legalization.`

NORML believes that marijuana smoking is not for kids and should only be used responsibly by adults. As with alcohol consumption, it must never be an excuse for misconduct or other bad behavior. Driving or operating heavy equipment while impaired from marijuana should be prohibited.

NORML strongly supports the right of patients to use marijuana as a medicine when their physician recommends it to relieve pain and suffering.

Lastly, NORML supports the right of farmers to commercially cultivate hemp for industrial purposes, such as food and fiber production.