Federal Medical Cannabis Protections Extended

Today President Donald Trump signed a temporary spending bill that includes the Rohrabacher-Blumenauer amendment, which protects state medical cannabis programs from the federal government. The protections on medical cannabis will run through Jan. 19, 2018.

The Rohrabacher-Blumenauer amendment prevents the U.S. Department of Justice, led by U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, from using federal funds to stop states “from implementing their own State laws that authorize the use, distribution, possession or cultivation of medical marijuana.”

Sound familiar? The bill has been temporarily extended before many times. The Rohrabacher-Blumenauer amendment was temporarily extended on April 27, on Sept. 8, and most recently, on Dec. 8.

Rep. Earl Blumenauer was pleased to announce the extension. “Patients around the country who rely on medical marijuana for treatment—and the businesses that serve them—now have some measure of certainty,” Blumenauer stated. “Our fight, however, continues to maintain these important protections in the next funding bill passed by Congress.”

The amendment has been in place since 2014. It was originally called the Rohrabacher-Farr amendment before Rep. Sam Farr retired. Both Representatives Dana Rohrabacher and Earl Blumenauer are members of the bipartisan Congressional Cannabis Caucus.

The spending bill approval prevents a government shutdown. On Dec. 21, the House approved the controversial spending bill 231-188, and the Senate passed it 66-32.

The Rohrabacher-Blumenauer amendment prevents U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions from meddling with the process of states that allow medical cannabis. The move comes shortly after 66 member of congress signed a letter, making a plea to extend the protections. Americans in the medical cannabis industry can now rest at ease for another month.