Lost Opportunity: Senate Committee Blocks D.C. Recreational Cannabis Sales Again

A Senate committee has dashed hopes for legalized recreational cannabis sales in Washington, D.C. The committee approved a spending bill that keeps a controversial rider in place. This decision prevents D.C. from using local tax dollars to implement a system for adult-use cannabis sales, despite voter support for legalization in 2014.

What Happened?

Last week, the Senate Appropriations Committee passed the Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies (Labor/HHS) spending bill. The bill maintains the rider blocking D.C. from regulating recreational cannabis sales. Advocates had hoped for change when the House version of the bill initially omitted this rider, removing the longstanding prohibition on Washington, D.C. However, it was reinserted through a package of Republican amendments, keeping the restriction in place.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), chair of the FSGG Senate Appropriations subcommittee, noted the decision was a compromise to advance the overall spending measure, reported Marijuana Moment.

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Concerns Over Research Restrictions

Adding to the disappointment, the Senate committee’s report also expressed concerns about restrictive barriers imposed on marijuana and psychedelics research by existing laws. These concerns echo the broader push for drug policy reform that seeks to ease research restrictions.

The decision highlights the ongoing struggle between federal authority and local autonomy in D.C. Despite significant public and political support for cannabis reform, cannabis ecosystem doesn’t seem to find its way in the district.

Earlier this year, D.C. Council green-lighted an emergency measure to give city officials the authority to impose penalties on unlicensed marijuana gifting shops, to crack down on them. This happened after D.C. regulators made a move to change cannabis gifting shops into medical care centers.

At the bottom of these regulatory changes lies the issue of district federal dependance. The Senate’s decision to maintain the prohibition on D.C. cannabis sales marks a significant setback for the cannabis reform movement, which will need a broader reform to grant freer access to users. The ongoing battle between federal control and local autonomy remains a substantial hurdle.

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