However there was a great deal of anticipation that the details of the latest federal spending bill would include a deeper level of protection in states that have legalized marijuana for medicinal and recreational purposes, the congressional machine behind the dysfunctional of the United States government has revealed that nothing will change in the next fiscal year with regards to how Uncle Sam spends money to shake the foundation of the cannabis industry.
In a last-ditch effort to prevent a federal shutdown, hammer-fisted negotiators for the House and Senate came to terms late Tuesday night on a $1.1 trillion spending bill intended to keep some grease in the wheels of federal operations for another year.
The good news Among the amendments attached to Uncle Sam’s Fiscal Year 2016 budget plan is one that has become the subject of much controversy over the past year due to its apparent inability to be translated to English.
The infamous Rohrabacher-Farr amendment, which was designed to prevent the Justice Department and their overzealous warlords over at the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration from spending federal funds to conduct raids and prosecute the medical marijuana community, was renewed for another year.
Although the amendment was hailed a salvation’s wing when it was first approved last year, the measure has done very little to actually prevent the scourge of the DEA from inflicting its wrath.
Earlier this year, a spokesperson for the department told The Los Angeles Times that the rider only prevents federal enforcers from “Impeding the ability of states to carry out their medical marijuana laws.” “This is the second year in a row that Congress is using the appropriations process to tell federal agents and prosecutors not to interfere with state medical marijuana laws,” Tom Angell with the Marijuana Majority told HIGH TIMES.
This amendment is also a renewal from the Fiscal Year 2015 budget.
Now, for the bad news As congressional leadership locked horns over the demands put forth by Democrats and Republicans, the hope for other illusionary marijuana reforms being strapped to the latest budget, including those pertaining to Veterans and marijuana banking, dwindled fast.
In the end, the outcome of the negotiation did not allow for a handful of riders, most of which showed significant promise this year on Capitol Hill, to see the light of day.
Among the refused amendments was one that would have prevented physicians employed with the Department of Veterans Affairs from penalizing veterans for taking part in state-approved medical marijuana programs.
Apparently, Congress did not feel this was an important enough issue to address this year.
Congressional leadership is obviously not interested in remedying the financial concerns of an industry that is expected to generate billions of dollars within the next couple of years.
Perhaps one of the heaviest failures to be identified as the negotiations for the new federal budget came to a screeching halt is the fact that the District of Columbia will not be allowed to launch a retail pot market for at least another year.
The rider, introduced last year by Maryland Representative Andy Harris, was picked up again for inclusion in the Fiscal Year 2016 budget plan.
Earlier this year, DC Councilmember David Grosso told HIGH TIMES the city was fully prepared to get the ball rolling on recreational sales, but the “When” in the equation all depended on Congress.
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