Senator Patrick Leahy Today, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) successfully offered and passed the Rohrabacher-Blumenauer amendment in the Senate Appropriations Committee to protect lawful medical marijuana programs from the Department of Justice. Initially enacted by Congress in 2014, the amendment maintains that federal funds cannot be used to prevent states from “implementing their own state laws that [...]
Today, the Office of National Drug Control Policy convened it’s first meeting of President Trump’s “Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis.” The Commission is tasked with making recommendations for improving the Federal response to opioid misuse and abuse. Best evidence informs us that medical marijuana access is associated with reduced levels of opioid-related [...]
Attorney General Jeff SessionsPhoto by Gage Skidmore Ever since the 2016 election, marijuana legalization supporters have been wondering if President Trump will crack down on state-approved recreational and/or medical marijuana programs. The Heritage Foundation believes it knows the answer. According to the conservative think tank, there are actions the government can take without needing to [...]
Attorney General Jeff SessionsPhoto by Gage Skidmore Speaking to the press this evening, Attorney General Jeff Sessions doubled down on his infamous reefer madness rhetoric. Sessions stated: “We’re seeing real violence around that. Experts are telling me there’s more violence around marijuana than one would think and there’s big money involved.” Sessions’ latest comments describe a [...]
White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer today said that the Trump administration may engage in “greater” efforts to enforce federal anti-marijuana laws in jurisdictions that have legalized and regulated its adult use. In response to a question regarding how the administration intends to address statewide marijuana legalization laws, Spicer indicated that the administration views the [...]