Congressional​ ​Record   115th ​ ​​ ​CONGRESS,​ ​SECOND​ ​SESSION  PROCEEDINGS​ ​AND​ ​DEBATES​ ​OF​ ​THE​ ​ WASHINGTON,​ ​MONDAY,​ ​NOVEMBER​ ​6,​ ​2017  House​ ​of​ ​Representatives    IN​ ​HONOR​ ​OF    TH​ THE​ ​5​ ​ ​ANNIVERSARY​ ​OF​ ​MARIJUANA​ ​LEGALIZATION​ ​IN​ ​COLORADO             Five​ ​years​ ​ago,​ ​Colorado​ ​voters​ ​chose​ ​to​ ​amend​ ​the  State​ ​Constitution​ ​to​ ​legalize​ ​the​ ​cultivation,​ ​sale,  and​ ​personal​ ​use​ ​of​ ​marijuana​ ​for​ ​people​ ​21​ ​years  of​ ​age​ ​or​ ​older.​ ​Today,​ ​Colorado​ ​is​ ​home​ ​to​ ​a  growing​ ​marijuana​ ​economy​ ​which​ ​has​ ​created  23,000​ ​jobs​ ​in​ ​the​ ​industry​ ​and​ ​in​ ​excess​ ​of​ ​$200  million​ ​in​ ​tax​ ​revenue​ ​which​ ​helps​ ​to​ ​fund​ ​our  schools.    States​ ​like​ ​Colorado,​ ​and​ ​now​ ​dozens​ ​of​ ​other  states,​ ​have​ ​proven​ ​that​ ​allowing​ ​responsible  adults​ ​to​ ​legally​ ​purchase​ ​marijuana,​ ​gives​ ​money  to​ ​classrooms,​ ​not​ ​cartels;​ ​creates​ ​jobs,​ ​not​ ​addicts;  and​ ​boosts​ ​our​ ​economy,​ ​not​ ​our​ ​prison​ ​population.                        Colorado​ ​ought​ ​to​ ​be​ ​an​ ​example​ ​for​ ​the​ ​nation,  and​ ​it​ ​is​ ​past​ ​time​ ​we​ ​lift​ ​the​ ​federal​ ​prohibition​ ​on  marijuana.​ ​That’s​ ​why​ ​I’m​ ​proud​ ​to​ ​sponsor​ ​the  Regulate​ ​Marijuana​ ​Like​ ​Alcohol​ ​Act,​ ​which​ ​allows  each​ ​state​ ​to​ ​decide​ ​for​ ​itself​ ​whether​ ​to​ ​legalize  marijuana.​ ​ ​In​ ​addition,​ ​I​ ​will​ ​continue​ ​to​ ​attempt  to​ ​restrict​ ​the​ ​Department​ ​of​ ​Justice​ ​from​ ​enforcing  federal​ ​marijuana​ ​laws​ ​in​ ​states​ ​where​ ​it​ ​is​ ​legal.    Earlier​ ​in​ ​2017,​ ​I​ ​launched​ ​the​ ​bipartisan​ ​Cannabis  Caucus​ ​with​ ​Rep.​ ​Earl​ ​Blumenauer,​ ​Rep.​ ​Dana  Rohrabacher,​ ​and​ ​Rep.​ ​Don​ ​Young.​ ​The​ ​caucus​ ​will  serve​ ​as​ ​an​ ​important​ ​working​ ​group​ ​to​ ​discuss  marijuana​ ​policy​ ​and​ ​its​ ​future,​ ​moving​ ​Congress  into​ ​the​ ​21​st​​ ​century​ ​on​ ​drug​ ​policy.    I​ ​applaud​ ​the​ ​pioneers​ ​of​ ​the​ ​cannabis​ ​industry​ ​in  Colorado​ ​and​ ​nationwide.​ ​The​ ​perseverance​ ​and  hard​ ​work​ ​to​ ​create​ ​a​ ​new​ ​model​ ​of​ ​legalization​ ​is  commendable.         .   HON.​ ​JARED​ ​POLIS  OF​ ​COLORADO   ​ ​US​ ​HOUSE​ ​OF​ ​REPRESENTATIVES