A pair of U.S. congressmen are seeking to cut off funding for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s "Domestic Cannabis Eradication / Suppression Program."
The program is funded through controversial asset forfeitures, where agents who suspect you’re in the drug business take your home and car without due process.
Democratic U.S. Rep. Ted Lieu of the L.A. area and Republican U.S. Rep. Justin Amash of Michigan have paired up for the "Stop Civil Asset Forfeiture Funding for Marijuana Suppression Act," which they recently introduced in the lower house.
The duo says the DEA spent $18 million on the program last year in order to arrest 6,310 people.
"As multiple states legalize marijuana across our nation, it is a huge waste of federal resources for the DEA to eradicate marijuana," said Lieu. "The federal government should focus its precious resources on other issues and let the states innovate in the cannabis field."
The bill would cut off the lifeblood of the program -- it’s funding. The legislation is supported by the Marijuana Policy Project and by the Drug Policy Alliance.
"Rep. Lieu has shown leadership on the cannabis eradication issue since championing an amendment earlier this year to slash funding to the program, and Rep. Amash is a tireless opponent of the type of wasteful spending that the DEA symbolizes," said Michael Collins, Policy Manager at Drug Policy Alliance’s Office of National Affairs.
Editor's note: This article originally published on The 420 Times, and has been modified slightly for publication on IVN.