Bipartisan Duo Seeks to Cut Lifeblood of DEA's Cannabis Eradication Program

Published: 28 Sep, 2015
1 min read

A pair of U.S. congressmen are seeking to cut off funding for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s "Domestic Cannabis Eradication / Suppression Program."

The program is funded through controversial asset forfeitures, where agents who suspect you’re in the drug business take your home and car without due process.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Ted Lieu of the L.A. area and Republican U.S. Rep. Justin Amash of Michigan have paired up for the "Stop Civil Asset Forfeiture Funding for Marijuana Suppression Act," which they recently introduced in the lower house.

The duo says the DEA spent $18 million on the program last year in order to arrest 6,310 people.

"As multiple states legalize marijuana across our nation, it is a huge waste of federal resources for the DEA to eradicate marijuana," said Lieu. "The federal government should focus its precious resources on other issues and let the states innovate in the cannabis field."

The bill would cut off the lifeblood of the program -- it’s funding. The legislation is supported by the Marijuana Policy Project and by the Drug Policy Alliance.

"Rep. Lieu has shown leadership on the cannabis eradication issue since championing an amendment earlier this year to slash funding to the program, and Rep. Amash is a tireless opponent of the type of wasteful spending that the DEA symbolizes," said Michael Collins, Policy Manager at Drug Policy Alliance’s Office of National Affairs.

Editor's note: This article originally published on The 420 Times, and has been modified slightly for publication on IVN.

You Might Also Like

Xavier Becerra Bolts Into First Place in IVN California Governor Poll
Xavier Becerra Bolts Into First Place in IVN California Governor Poll
Survey of 3,404 verified California voters shows Democrat in front. Second-choice data reveals where Yee's supporters are headed....
20 Apr, 2026
-
8 min read
Judge Slams Door on New Attack Against California’s Top Two Primary
Judge Slams Door on New Attack Against California’s Top Two Primary
A group of minor parties in California challenged the state's nonpartisan Top Two primary in court and a federal judge handed them another loss, ruling in part that they can’t keep suing over arguments already rejected by other courts....
15 Apr, 2026
-
4 min read
Why We Call Ourselves Independent Voter News
Why We Call Ourselves Independent Voter News
For 15 years, we have published more than 14,000 articles written by people from different walks of life, different parts of the country, and different political backgrounds....
01 Apr, 2026
-
2 min read