October 20, 2021 John,
Earlier this week, the Senate Appropriations Committee released its proposed annual spending package. It includes provisions that have significant implications for those residing in jurisdictions where the possession of cannabis by adults is legal.
Among the changes include directives for drug testing exemptions for federal employees residing in legal states and the removal of longstanding federal restrictions barring the District of Columbia from engaging in retail marijuana sales.
However, notably absent from the package is a provision known as the Blumenauer-McClintock-Norton-Lee amendment -- a bipartisan provision we helped pass in the House in 2019 and in 2020 -- preventing the Department of Justice from using our tax dollars to interfere with state-legalization programs.
That is why we need you to assist us in demanding the Senate to reconsider this matter! Tell your lawmakers to represent you and champion this critical reform!
Earlier this year, I helped craft a letter to Congressional leaders stating: “To date, 48 states have enacted laws that, to varying degrees, relax their prohibitions against the use of marijuana or its components, such as CBD oil. Of those, 36 states have medical marijuana programs, and 17 of those have adult-use programs. Most of these laws were decided by ballot initiatives. We believe that the federal government should not interfere with these programs and the will of the citizens of these states.”
Signers of the letter included prominent congressional leaders including Democratic Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jefferies; Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler; Oversight and Reform Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney; Small Business Chairwoman Nydia Velazquez; Natural Resources Chairman Raúl Grijalva; Progressive Caucus Chairwoman Pramila Jayapal; Republican Dean of the House Don Young; among others.
With support like that, there is no reason that Congress cannot get this done. Nearly half of all Americans reside in a jurisdiction where the adult use of cannabis is legal under state statute, with programs supporting over 321,000 full-time jobs. It is time for Congress to acknowledge this reality and ensure these protections are in the final spending bill.
So tell your Senators to support the Blumenauer-McClintock-Norton-Lee amendment to build the momentum needed to pass reform once and for all.
Thanks for all you do,
Justin Strekal
NORML Political Director
