Republicans Block Vote on Continuing to Protect Medical Marijuana States
House Republicans have blocked a vote on renewing the Rohrabacher-Farr amendment, which protects state medical marijuana laws.
“The status quo for four years has been the federal government will not interfere because the Department of Justice is not permitted to use its resources to supercede a state that has legalized the medical use of marijuana,” said California Representative Rohrabacher (R) in a meeting earlier today with other House Republicans. By blocking a vote, Rohrabacher says “we’re changing the status quo in a way that undermines the rights of the states and the people.. to make their policy.”
Representative Duncan Hunter, also a Republican from California, told The Hill that the amendment “splits the conference too much so we’re not going to have a vote on it.”
Failure to vote on the amendment could lead to it expiring later this year, giving the federal government – more specifically Attorney General Jeff Sessions and the Department of Justice – full legal and financial authority to go after medical marijuana dispensaries and patients.