A House committee has called on federal officials take action to develop hemp-based alternatives to plastic, to create a device that detects marijuana-impaired drivers and to combat illegal cannabis growing on public land.
The provisions can be found in the reports that are attached to the annual spending legislation, which was approved by House Appropriations Committee last week.
The report on the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year 2024 discusses “potential needs for dependable biobased and U.S. grown plastic alternatives.”
The bill directs the Environmental Protection Agency to “provide a detailed briefing on the efforts to explore alternative materials, such as hemp grown in the United States, and how these alternatives can be used to produce or fund government-funded materials at a lower cost” within 180 calendar days after the bill is enacted.
In another section, the committee states that it is “aware of trespassers who illegally grow cannabis on public lands in California.”
states that “these unlawful activities have a harmful impact on the public, water and soil as well as wildlife.” The Committee supports Forest Service efforts in developing tools to detect and eliminate grow sites. The Committee directs Forest Service and [Bureau of Land Management] on continuing to work with State, Local, and Tribal Governments to the fullest extent possible to survey, reclamation and prevention efforts.”
In the report of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies bill, marijuana is also mentioned in relation to impaired driving.
The committee continues to “support the development of an object standard to measure impairment from marijuana and a field sobriety related test to ensure road safety.”
The Department of Transportation has been instructed to provide an updated briefing “to the Committee not later than 60 day after the date of the enactment of the Act regarding interim progress prior to publication of the Report.”
Bipartisan legislators are also attempting to include drug policy Amendments in spending legislation that covers other federal agencies.
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Two identical amendments by Rep. Robert Garcia, D-CA, that were offered in different appropriations bill would prevent the use funds for drug testing most applicants at agencies covered under the legislation.
The amendment, which was proposed by Reps. Jack Bergman and Lou Correa in a spending bill, is meant to encourage the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to conduct “large-scale research” on drugs such as psilocybin and MDMA. These drugs have been designated “breakthrough treatments” by the Food and Drug Administration.
Garcia also submitted an amendment earlier this month to the National Defense Authorization Act that would have prohibited security clearance denials of federal workers due to prior cannabis use. This proposal and more than a dozen others filed by bipartisan legislators were rejected by the GOP-controlled House Rules Committee. The committee will also determine whether these new amendments are allowed to be voted on.
Bipartisan legislators have also filed other amendments to the VA spending bill on recommendations for medical cannabis use by veterans. If they are to be considered by the House Rules Committee, they will have to be in order. It’s unclear if the leadership will allow it, given what happened this month with the NDAA amendments on drug policy.
Democrat senators, meanwhile, are trying to pass a number of marijuana reform amendments in their version of the NDAA.
One of the proposals led by Sen. Brian Schatz, (D-HI), allows veterans to use medical marijuana in states and territories that allow it. This is similar to a separate bill that Senator Schatz introduced back in April.
The law would also protect doctors who fill out and discuss paperwork to recommend medical cannabis for veterans. It would also require that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs support clinical trials to investigate the therapeutic effects of marijuana in treating conditions like pain and post-traumatic disorder (PTSD), which commonly affect veterans.
Currently, it’s unclear whether Senate Democrats and Republicans can reach an agreement to include any of these amendments in the bill. Or if the GOP controlled House will be willing if they were ultimately added on the Senate side.
The Senate Appropriations Committee approved a separate amendment to allowing VA doctors to give medical cannabis recommendations. released its report for the relevant budget bill, which calls on the Department to facilitate access to medical marijuana for veterans and to explore the therapeutic potentials of psychedelics.
House and Senate Appropriators have also passed large-scale annual budget bills, which include once again language to protect medical cannabis programs in states, as well as an controversial rider that blocks Washington, D.C.’s implementation of a regulated marijuana sale system.
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The article Congressional spending bill reports call for research on hemp as a plastic alternative and marijuana impaired driving test first appeared on Marijuana Moment.
