The Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) asked Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan to investigate whether White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Director John Walters violated the state’s Lobbyist Registration Act when he lobbied against medical marijuana legislation last month. According to an MPP release, the law requires any individual who lobbies the state legislature to register with the Illinois Secretary of State within two business days, which the group claimed Walters failed to do.
On Feb. 17, Walters appeared before the House Human Services Committee to oppose a medical marijuana bill proposed by Rep. Larry McKeon, D-Chicago. In traveling to Illinois for this purpose, Walters was carrying out the requirements of Title 21, Section 1703 (b) (12) of the U.S. Code, which provides that the ONDCP director ‘shall … take such actions as necessary to oppose any attempt to legalize’ marijuana.
‘This provision makes the drug czar unique among federal officials in that influencing state legislation is part of his job description,’ said Steve Fox, MPP director of government relations. ‘When he travels to a state to testify, he is not an expert; he is a lobbyist.’