Amendment to Prevent DOJ From Using Federal Funds to Interfere With State Medical Marijuana Programs Voted Down

Press release from Americans for Safe Access:

Marijuana garden buds harvest

Marijuana flowers ready to harvest. [Photo by Kym Kemp]

Last night, the House Committee on Rules voted to not allow a floor vote on an amendment which would continue to prevent the Department of Justice from using funds to interfere with state medical marijuana programs.  The amendment, introduced by Representatives Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) and Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) has been part of the appropriations package since 2015.While the failure to include the amendment in the House is disappointing to medical cannabis advocates, the same amendment, introduced by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), was passed in July in the Senate FY2018 Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations bill. The amendment prohibits the use of Federal funds to interfere with medical cannabis patients and programs that are in compliance with state medical cannabis laws.  The Senate version of the appropriations bill with patient protections will be compared to the House version in a conference committee to resolve differences between the two bills before being sent to the President.

The inclusion of this amendment in the final appropriations package would allow state programs to continue the protections afforded to them in the 2015 budget, the 2016 budget, and the 2017 continuing resolution.

“We are deeply disappointed that the House Rules Committee did not include the Rohrabacher-Blumenauer amendment, said Steph Sherer, Americans for Safe Access Executive Director. “Despite bipartisan support and hundreds of millions of Americans agreeing that cannabis should be available as medicine, the members of the Rules committee decided to put partisan politics before patients’ needs. With 91 individuals dying a day from the opioid crisis, and medical cannabis states seeing a nearly 25% decline in opioid overdoses, Justice Department resources would be better spent on other department priorities rather than interfering in legal state-run medical cannabis programs. The failure of the Rules Committee to include protections for patients in their bill only amplifies the need for permanent legislation like the CARERS Act. The Conference Committee must do its job and ensure that protections for medical cannabis patients make it to the President’s desk.”

In response to the news, Representative Blumenauer tweeted, “This isn’t over! As House & Senate finalize funding bill, we will fight for patients & to continue critical medical marijuana protections.”

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shak
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shak
6 years ago

The language in the bill might have been questionable. It would be nice if us peons could read it and make our own informed choice whether to yay or nay their move.

Nullification is the State’s duty. Informed choices are always a good idea. http://thefreethoughtproject.com/wisconsin-moves-nullify-federal-cannabis-prohibition/

shak
Guest
shak
6 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

Thank you Kym.
It will take me awhile to comprehend what they say.
My first question is:
Being a part of an Ominous Bill when passed, will the entire packet of bills that passed within the Ominous Bill also be included in the renewing of bill in question?

Movin' on out
Guest
Movin' on out
6 years ago

Hey, cops & lawyers need to make a living

Anon Forrest
Guest
6 years ago
Reply to  Movin' on out

I thought the same thing. Plus: Will this will help keep the black market (aka price supports,) alive and well? Is this a win-win? Tune in tomorrow….

maesteramon
Guest
maesteramon
6 years ago
Reply to  Movin' on out

by robbing us and using weed as a gateway (smell) to do it

Matthew Meyer
Guest
Matthew Meyer
6 years ago

The headline seems slightly misleading, since the process is not complete yet.

Emphasis on this passage, noting that the Senate bill already includes the protections in question:

“The Senate version of the appropriations bill with patient protections will be compared to the House version in a conference committee to resolve differences between the two bills before being sent to the President.”

Anon Forrest
Guest
6 years ago
Reply to  Matthew Meyer

Senator Feinstein (essentially) says she will vote against any step to legalize medical uses of Cannabis. She replied this am. So that’s why I’m saying Game Over.

maesteramon
Guest
maesteramon
6 years ago
Reply to  Anon Forrest

why??

It's a Farce
Guest
It's a Farce
6 years ago

Good! Next year we will see federal forces arrive in Humboldt to do the job that our sheriff refuses to do! It’s sad and wrong that it will involve federal attacks on medical marijuana but then again- we all here encouraged the largest mega-grows to pretend that they were “medical suppliers” and we refused to speak out about the industrial monsters growing in out midst. We need federal forces because we refused to deal with our own bullshit. And now a majority of our supervisors and our sheriff’s department are seriously compromised through corrupt relationships with criminal organizations blowing up HUGE marijuana grows. The CA “legalization” law we voted in will be used as a blueprint for eradication and federal intervention. Congratulations! Enjoy!!

G-MAS
Guest
G-MAS
6 years ago

Without pot my cancer stricken family would be alot more sickly,ie:no will to eat,throwing up 24/7 it helps so much.wow

SATAN
Guest
SATAN
6 years ago

MWAHAHAHAAA!

Diesel DRW - Curb Weight 7762 lbs
Guest
Diesel DRW - Curb Weight 7762 lbs
6 years ago

Wait – Cannabis is saving us from the scourge of – opiate addiction and overdose death??

WHAT a load of poop!

Taking drugs to avoid drugs, is an act of insanity! Cannabis is NOT medicine, but opiates are no better.

Take drugs for a good reason, if you must. Save the rationalizations for your confessor, therapist, or mother…

Perspective
Guest
Perspective
6 years ago

If you weren’t so closed minded, it actually helps people get off opiates.

LabeledaNazi
Guest
LabeledaNazi
6 years ago
Reply to  Perspective

Its still a drug. Deisals right. Curing drugs with drugs is nothing new. Consentraded marijuana is a drug,its not “weed ” any more…but it is a medicine like opiates, if used in tolerance. how bought we slam it!! Where’s my rig? .