Under Pressure: 50+ Cannabis And Civil Groups Urge Congress To Lift Ban On Marijuana Sales In DC

Drug Policy Alliance, supported by more than 50 criminal justice reform, business, labor and drug policy organizations, sent a letter to a key House and Senate appropriators along with Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Speaker Nancy Pelosi, demanding to keep the removal of the appropriations rider that has prevented the District of Columbia from spending its own money to legalize and regulate adult-use marijuana sales.

While adult-use cannabis was made legal in Washington D.C. in 2014, a rider contained in all presidential budget proposals since that date has prevented the state from exercising those laws.

And so, as adults over 21 are allowed to grow and possess cannabis, commercial sales remain halted by that rider, which was also included in President Biden’s last budget for 2022.

Last year, the rider was purposely left out in a spending bill approved by the House and circulated in draft form in the Senate. Now the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) is urging members of Congress “to maintain the removal of the Congressional budget rider, also known as the 'Harris' rider, that has prohibited the District of Columbia from establishing a regulatory framework for the sale and taxation of marijuana.

“It is imperative to both public health, public safety, and for Congress' support of the District’s right to home rule that the removal of the Harris rider is maintained,” the letter says.

 “Without the ability to regulate marijuana sales, the grey market for marijuana flourishes despite the need and want of the District leadership and residents alike to establish a regulatory model,” the groups said in the letter. “Such a model would free up law enforcement resources to focus on threats to public safety. It would also allow legitimate entrepreneurs to start businesses, create jobs and spur economic development in the District.”

Right Side Of History

Queen Adesuyi, senior national policy manager for the DPA, also commented. “On one hand, Congress continues to make strides in advancing federal marijuana reform grounded in racial justice, while simultaneously being responsible for prohibiting the very jurisdiction that led the country in legalizing marijuana through this lens from being able to regulate it. This conflict and contradiction must end now,” Adesuyi said.

“Leadership passing on this historic chance to be on the right side of history—in standing for both marijuana reform and democracy—would be demoralizing, and a clear sign that there is a stronger commitment to use D.C. as a bargaining chip than on the values of marijuana justice and home rule. We look forward to working with them to finally bring this injustice to a close and ensure D.C. residents’ voice and vote are respected.”