The USA Today and a host of other media outlets report that Representatives Ron Paul and Barney Frank introduced a bill to legalize marijuana. According to Politico, the bill was:

Modeled on the 21st Amendment to the Constitution that repealed the prohibition of alcoholic beverages, the legislation is being cast by the Marijuana Policy Project as the “the first bill ever introduced in Congress to end federal marijuana prohibition.”

The bill would let states legalize, regulate and tax marijuana. It would also “reprioritize federal resources” away from the enforcement of anti-marijuana laws, limiting the federal government’s role in combating cross-border and interstate smuggling, as well as in fighting the growth, use and sale of the drug.

Will this bill pass? Doubtful. But at this point passage isn’t what is at stake? Conor Friedersdorf at the Atlantic describes what is:

Hailed as the first bill of its kind to be introduced in Congress – that’s expected to happen later today – its states’ rights approach is significant, and forces defenders of federal drug policy into their weakest position. It’s one thing to argue that marijuana should be illegal. It’s another thing to insist that the federal government enforce a nationwide ban even as duly elected state legislatures signal that the people disagree. That is the essence of the matter. Under this bill, marijuana would be legalized only in states where the people and their representatives desire it.

Is the federal government justified in stopping them?

In the era of the Tea Party, when conservative Republicans are insisting that state governments be permitted to reject Obamacare, turn down bailout money, and otherwise flex their muscles, it’s a tough moment to insist, “Yes, marijuana is different: the feds should prevail.” Of course, the bill is likely to fail anyway. In killing it, however, various hypocrisies will be highlighted. As a result, federal prohibition of marijuana will wind up marginally less tenable than before.

Interesting.

The Rolling Stones blog, the Huffington Post, Reason, The Weed Blog (catchy name), HailMaryJane.com, and NPR have additional coverage.