Tagged With: Federal
McClintock/Polis Amendment to Limit Federal Interference of State Marijuana Laws
Representatives Tom McClintock (R-CA) and Jared Polis (D-CO) have introduced an amendment that, if passed, would disallow the Department of Justice to use funds from Congress to enforce federal laws on activities that are legal under state law with regard to marijuana. Ultimately, this amendment seeks to limit the federal government’s ability to intrude in … Continue reading
Bonamici Files Amendment Preventing Federal Interference of State Hemp Laws
Representative Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) has introduced an amendment to the House appropriations bill that, if passed, would not allow funds to be used to prevent states from implementing their own state laws that authorize the use, distribution, possession, or cultivation of industrial hemp. These laws are defined in section 7606 of the Agricultural Act of … Continue reading
Court Case Highlights Need For Continued Federal Protections
Last week, a US District Court blocked federal prosecutors from continuing a case against a medical marijuana cultivation company as a result of the current, albeit limited, congressional protections from the Department of Justice. LA Weekly reported: Humboldt County growers Anthony Pisarski and Sonny Moore had already pleaded guilty to federal allegations (conspiracy to manufacture … Continue reading
80 Years Ago Today: President Signs First Federal Anti-Marijuana Law
Eighty years ago today, on August 2, 1937, President Franklin Roosevelt signed House Bill 6385: the Marihuana Tax Act into law. The Act for the first time imposed federal criminal penalties on activities specific to the possession, production, and sale of cannabis. Congress’ decision followed the actions of 29 states, beginning with Massachusetts in 1914, … Continue reading
Federal: Continue To Protect Lawful Medical Marijuana Programs
Senate Update: The Senate Appropriations Committee is expected to consider the Rohrabacher-Blumenauer amendment on Thursday, July 27th. House Update: The House Appropriations Committee released its 2018 Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) Appropriations bill, which determines the funding levels for numerous federal agencies, including the Department of Justice. Predictably, the bill does not include language — known as … Continue reading
Two Major Victories For Student Rights In Federal Courts
Dan Viets speaking at a NORML conference Federal courts have recently rejected the actions of university and college administrators who sought to inflict suspicionless drug tests on students at a public college and to restrict the First Amendment rights of marijuana law reformers at a public university. Both decisions have important national implications. Linn Tech … Continue reading
Federal: Legislation To Protect Medical Marijuana Patients Pending In Senate (CARERS Act)
Legislation has been reintroduced in the Senate, The Compassionate Access, Research Expansion, and Respect States (CARERS) Act of 2017, to strengthen protections for those compliant with their state’s medical marijuana laws and to impose various changes to federal law. Passage of CARERS 2017 exempts from federal prosecution those who are engaged in the “production, possession, … Continue reading
Federal: Protect Lawful Medical Marijuana Programs
Update: House and Senate lawmakers have signed off on the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2017 to fund the federal government through September 30, 2017. The measure reauthorizes and updates the Rohrabacher-Blumenauer amendment, as well as a similarly worded amendment protecting state-sponsored industrial hemp programs. Both amendments will remain in effect until September 30, at which … Continue reading
Federal: Legislation Pending To Halt Forfeiture Actions Against Marijuana Facilities
Update: HR 331 was referred to committee. Legislation is pending before Congress, HR 331, to halt the federal government from taking civil forfeiture action against properties involved in state-sanctioned, medical marijuana-related conduct. If approved, it would “amend the Controlled Substances Act … to exempt real property from civil forfeiture due to medical marijuana-related conduct that … Continue reading
