se mandatory minimum sentences. Anti-marijuana feelings continued to grow, and state laws often imposed stricter penalties than the federal penalties (Potter 98). In the 1960’s, however, a strange phenomenon began to occur. For the first time in history, marijuana use began to rise amongst the white middle class. Many mandatory sentences were called to be repealed. This was seen in the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970. Most of the states followed the federal government, and the possession of marijuana was decriminalized. However in the 1980’s the government once again changed its mind, with the passage of the Anti-Abuse Act of 1986, which once again imposed mandatory minimum sentences for a wide range of drug offenses (Potter 101). The last major piece of legislation passed by the federal government (not state governments) was in 1996, which stated that any American convicted of a marijuana felony may no longer receive federal welfare or food stamps (Potter 101). How a Bill Becomes a LawThe ultimate goal for a special interest group would be to have a law passed by the federal government either legalizing marijuana, or keeping marijuana illegal. A bill or proposal for a law can originate in either the Senate or the House of Representatives of the United States Congress. Both houses must pass the law in its exact form, and then the president must sign it. If a group wants marijuana to be legalized on the federal level, it must contact a specific committee within the House or Senate. The proposal would go to a highly specialized sub-committee within the committee itself for hearings, revisions, and approval. Next the bill would again go back to the original committee for any further revisions. If the whole committee approves the bill, then it goes before the Rules committee. This is the committee that is responsible for setting actions for a debate. After the debate, if the bill is ap...
