On Tuesday, a key Republican legislator expressed his interest in reassessing a federal ban that prevents Washington, D.C., from legalizing, taxing and regulating recreational marijuana sales.
The comments were made at a House Oversight and Accountability Committee Hearing in response to testimony by D.C. mayor Muriel Bowser, who stated that the congressional appropriations riders that have prevented her city for many years from implementing adult use cannabis commerce has “a public safety impact.”
She said, “The policemen and women are fighting gray market cannabis sales every day. If we had a system to tax and regulate, we could implement an even safer system.”
James Comer, the chairman of the R-KY delegation at the hearing, seemed to be sympathetic towards the issue. He said that marijuana was “one of the things that caught my eye” after the hearing.
“I didn’t know what the laws were on that,” said he, referring the the rider which prohibits D.C. to use its local tax dollars for legalizing and implementing marijuana sales. “We’re investigating that.”
A spokesperson for Comer said to Marijuana Moment that they had “nothing more to share” at this time when asked about specific plans to deal with the D.C. marijuana issue.
It was an interesting exchange, especially since Comer has limited his support of cannabis reform to hemp-related issues . The Kentucky congressman voted twice against bills that would have legalized marijuana at the federal level and took two contrasting votes to protect state legalization laws.
After another GOP member went on a rant against marijuana, the chairman committed to research the larger marijuana problem in D.C.
Rep. Pete Sessions, R-TX, called cannabis an “addictive and dangerous product” suggesting that D.C. increase enforcement against those who consume it.
He told Bowser and other local officials who appeared before the committee: “There are hallucinogens.” He told Bowser, and other local officials who appeared in front of the committee: “There are hallucinogens.” There are many problems in our city, and violent crime will continue to occur if we allow marijuana to be smoked openly.
Sessions’ previous role as the chairman of the powerful Rules Committee prevented from considering marijuana amendments on the House Floor.
D.C. voters approved marijuana cultivation, possession and gifting in 2014 under a noncommercial model, but the public is not allowed to consume it in public places.
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While Comer claimed that he was not previously aware of the restrictions being placed by Congress on the District in regards to marijuana, this issue was separately brought up in written testimony for an hearing held in his panel back in March.
D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson, a Democrat, told the committee that the “congressional intervention” in local laws regarding cannabis threatened the city’s “ability to address crime and public security.”
The federal blockade has been a long-standing issue for advocates, but it was not resolved for the fiscal year 2023. Congress passed a final budget deal for the fiscal year that kept the rider in place, despite the fact that the House and Senate had omitted the clause from their versions of last years.
Eleanor Holmes Norton, a U.S. Representative from Washington, D.C. , called on President Joe Biden to go even further and legalize cannabis federally, allowing the District to establish its own commercial cannabis market, and granting clemency.
The congresswoman stated that the local ban was continued in Biden’s three first budget proposals and represents “a shocking violation of D.C. Home Rule by a Democratic Administration.”
A coalition of local and state advocacy groups asked the U.S. Attorney General in recent days to adopt a formal policy of non-enforcement, allowing the District of Columbia to continue to sell marijuana despite the continuing congressional ban.
In a poll conducted in September, D.C. Voters strongly support marijuana legalization, and oppose any crackdown on the “gifting” cannabis market that has emerged due to the lack of regulated sales.
Congress has recently allowed a D.C. medical marijuana law to take effect, which makes major changes to its program.
This measure includes reforms like eliminating the cannabis business licensing cap, providing tax relief for operators, promoting social equality and creating new regulated categories of businesses such as on-site cannabis consumption facilities and cooking classes.
The Medical Cannabis Amendment Act codifies the fact that adults may self-certify themselves as medical marijuana patients. This policy has served as a partial solution to the federal rider.
Minnesota House could vote on marijuana legalization bill in the near future after completion of conference report
Photo by Brian Shamblen.
The post Key Republican Congressman Says he’ll review federal ban on marijuana sales in D.C. after Mayor raises safety concerns appeared initially on Marijuana Moment.
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