Congress

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) has filed a bill to reform federal asset forfeiture laws. Yesterday, he introduced the FAIR (Fifth Amendment Integrity Restoration) ACT, Senate Bill 2644, which would require the government to prove with clear and convincing evidence that the property it wishes to forfeit is connected with a crime.

There's dollar signs coming with marijuana legalization laws, Rand Paul moves to protect medical marijuana, medical marijuana comes too late for one New York girl, there's a new opiate pain reliever out there (with a twist), and more.

Rand Paul has filed an amendment to Senate Bill 2569, the "Bring Jobs Home Act," that would explicitly allow states to pass medical marijuana laws despite the provisions of the federal Controlled Substances Act. The amendment would also bar prosecutions of patients and doctors for engaging in medical marijuana activities in states where it is legal.

Late last week, the US Sentencing Commission extended sentencing reforms for federal drug defendants to include people who are already serving their sentences. Some 46,000 drug war prisoners could see cuts averaging about two years.

With tens of thousands of Central American children and adolescents arriving at the US border, the roots of the crisis tend to be obscured by partisan bickering over what is to be done and who is to blame. There's a good argument the war on drugs deserves some credit.

The White House has spoken about directly about House Republican efforts to block the District of Columbia from implementing its new decriminalization law. It doesn't approve, and it cites states' rights and home rule. It joins a slew of DC residents and officials telling Congress to bugger off.

In an historic vote Wednesday, the US House has approved an amendment to the Treasury Department appropriations bill barring the agency from spending any money to punish financial institutions that provide services to marijuana businesses where it is legal.

The House okays marijuana banking, DC decriminalizes tomorrow, DC expands its medical marijuana program, Miami-Dade taxpayers pay for a particularly heinous killer drug raid, a lot of states did sentencing reforms last year, and more.

The Obama administration comes out against congressional interference with the District of Columbia's decriminalization law, Dana Rohrabacher comes out as the first Republican congressman to support marijuana legalization, the Smarter Sentencing Act picks up more sponsors, and more.