One of cannabis reform’s staunchest advocates in Congress plans to retire.
Democratic U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer, who has represented Portland, Oregon, and local environs in the House of Representatives since 1996, said this week he will not seek re-election next year.
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“It is a difficult decision. Particularly after the amazing success of the last several years. But simply said, it is time to continue my life’s mission without the burden of day-to-day politics,” Blumenauer, 75, said in a news release late Monday.
Blumenauer’s retirement was first reported by Willamette Week.
A former Portland city council member and bicycle advocate with a penchant for bow ties, Blumenauer spent nearly 50 years in public office.
But he became nationally known over the past decade for his consistent and outspoken support of federal marijuana reform.
Blumenauer co-sponsored a pivotal federal budget amendment that protected state-legal medical marijuana businesses from
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