Paul, Frank to introduce marijuana bill

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WASHINGTON, June 23 (UPI) -- Reps. Ron Paul, R-Texas, and Barney Frank, D-Mass., say they will introduce a bill to curb the government's role in marijuana law enforcement.

A marijuana policy advocacy group and several media outlets reported Paul and Frank, along with other congressional members, will introduce legislation Thursday that would "limit the federal government's role in marijuana enforcement to cross-border or inter-state smuggling."

The bill's authors said the measure isn't an attempt to legalize marijuana, but meant to ease conflicts between federal and state laws, CBS News reported. As many as 16 states allow the use of medical marijuana, which directly conflicts with federal law.

The Marijuana Policy Project said the legislation would "end state-federal conflicts over marijuana policy, reprioritize federal resources and provide more room for states to do what is best for their own citizens."

In early June, a 19-member international panel called the "war on drugs" a failure and recommended the United States consider legalizing marijuana as a way to undermine criminal organizations.