A Senate committee has approved a spending bill that maintains a controversial rider blocking Washington, D.C. from legalizing adult-use marijuana sales, without adding any other previously proposed provisions to advance cannabis reform. At the same time, the panel passed report language conveying concerns about restrictions on marijuana and psychedelics research imposed by current prohibition.
The Senate Appropriations Committee advanced the legislation last week covering Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies (Labor/HHS). To the disappointment of advocates, however, the FSGG measure would continue to block D.C. from using its local tax dollars to implement a system of recreational cannabis sales, despite voters approving a local legalization measure in 2014.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), chair of the FSGG Senate Appropriations subcommittee, suggested at the markup that legislators declined to address D.C. autonomy issues “in the interests of moving forward” to get a passable spending measure.
Here’s the cannabis reform ban language:
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
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