House Committee Approves Medical Cannabis Protections, Blocking Federal Interference

[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]T[/dropcap]he House Committee on Appropriations for Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) approved a measure today that would renew protections for state medical cannabis programs through September. It blocks U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions and the Department of Justice from funding to crack down on medical cannabis.

Previously known as the Rohrabacher-Blumenauer Amendment, the protections were consistently renewed by the Senate Appropriations Committee since 2014, but have never been approved via the House committee until now. It was introduced, most lately, by Rep. David Joyce. The protections are set to expire on Sept. 30.

Great news for states’ rights and those suffering severe pain. @HouseAppropsGOP Fiscal Year 2019 Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Bill will include an amendment offered by myself protecting states’ rights regarding the use of medical marijuana.

— Dave Joyce (@RepDaveJoyce) May 17, 2018

In the past, the amendment skipped the committee process and was merely inserted into each appropriations bill on the House floor, but the protections were blocked several times by Rules Committee Chairman Pete Sessions, who has also blocked a handful of hemp bills from advancing.

The historic move was applauded by NORML, as well as the National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA). “With 9-in-10 Americans supporting medical cannabis, it’s great to see that protecting legal providers has finally become a non-issue in Congress,” Aaron Smith, executive director of the NCIA said in a press release. “Now, it’s time for Congress to expand these protections by preventing federal overreach in all state cannabis laws, including those that allow responsible adult use and have successfully replaced criminal markets with thriving, regulated industries.”   

What this means for the national cannabis industry is that cannabis businesspeople can rest at ease to a degree, at least from the long arm of the Department of Justice. The Senate Appropriations Committee is expected to provide its version of the bill next month. According to Forbes, utilizing the House route instead of the Senate route for the bill’s advancement may mean that Rep. Joyce’s name could appear on the bill instead of Congressman Rohrabacher’s.