GRAND RAPIDS, MI – U.S Rep. Justin Amash has co-sponsored legislation to prevent the federal government from prosecuting people following their state marijuana laws.

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, a California Republican, on Friday, April 12, introduced “Respect State Marijuana Laws Act of 2013.” The federal law would essentially be the same as each state’s law regarding marijuana.

“This bipartisan bill represents a common-sense approach that establishes federal government respect for all states’ marijuana laws," Rohrabacher said in a statement. “ It does so by keeping the federal government out of the business of criminalizing marijuana activities in states that don’t want it to be criminal.”

Amash, R-Cascade Township, co-sponsored the legislation with six others, including Democrats Earl Blumenauer, of Oregon, Steve Cohen, of Tennessee, and Jared Polis, of Colorado.

Eighteen states and the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana to some extent.

Steve Fox, national political director for the Marijuana Policy Project, said in a statement: “Marijuana prohibition is on its last legs because most Americans no longer support it. This legislation presents a perfect opportunity for members to embrace the notion that states should be able to devise systems for regulating marijuana without their citizens having to worry about breaking federal law.”

Related: Big Rapids man says medical marijuana law leads to prison sentence

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