[420 Girl]

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., will address the Marijuana Policy Project on Wednesday evening, his office confirmed this morning.

An advocate of the legal use of marijuana for medical purposes, Cohen is expected to address the policy group's annual gala dinner on Capitol Hill if it doesn't conflict with a Democratic members' caucus meeting.

"I think that he is one of the strongest members of Congress in general on these issues," said Marijuana Policy Project spokesman Aaron Houston.

A bill pending in Congress eliminating federal penalties for the personal use of marijuana was introduced last July by U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., and is co-sponsored by nine others. Cohen is not among them.

But Cohen is one of 30 co-sponsors of the Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act, also introduced by Frank last summer.

Houston said Cohen's views were made clear when he confronted FBI Director Robert Mueller about marijuana arrests at a Judiciary Committee hearing last year. Cohen was skeptical of claims that marijuana is a gateway drug leading to serious drug abuse.

U.S. Attorney General Eric H. Holder announced last year that it would be the policy of the Justice Department not to raid establishments selling medical marijuana in the states that have made the practice legal.

Cohen would be the only member of Congress to address the group, which advocates for less restrictive marijuana laws at the state level. Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong, the comedians, are also expected to address the session.


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