Congressional leaders have reached a deal on another spending bill—and this one would continue to block Washington, D.C. from legalizing recreational marijuana sales while also warning local officials about approving cannabis dispensaries near schools.
The appropriations legislation and attached reports, covering Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) as well as National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2026, was released on Sunday. It also contains a section directing federal officials to submit a report on Chinese-linked drug syndicates that operate illicit cannabis grows.
The District has long been barred from allowing regulated adult-use marijuana sales under a spending bill rider led by Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD), despite voters approving legalization of possession and personal cultivation in 2014.
Leaders of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees evidently didn’t see reason to shift away from that policy.
Here’s the text of the D.C. sales rider:
“SEC. 809. (a) None of the Federal funds contained in this Act may be used to enact or carry out any law, rule, or regulation to legalize or otherwise reduce penalties associated with the possession, use, or distribution of any schedule I substance under the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 801
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