President Obama's Budget Proposal Backs D.C. Marijuana Sales

In the fine-print of the 2016 budget, President Obama backed up his view that the federal government should not interfere with state-level decisions on marijuana legalization by reversing a congressional decision to block Washington, D.C. from legalizing the sale of marijuana.

D.C. Pot Sales Blocked

In 2014, D.C. voters elected to legalize the recreational use of the drug, but a congressional provision blocked the district’s ability to use its funds in order to come up with a regulation scheme that would govern the sale of cannabis. The legislation effectively legalized the possession of marijuana, but allowed no means to purchase it.

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Small Change With Powerful Ramifications

However, all of that will change if the president’s two-word switch in the budget is passed as is. Obama changed the language in the budget by adding the word “federal.” In his version, the congressional provision would bar only federal spending on the legalization of marijuana in D.C., but leave the district’s own funds free to develop a retail system.

Political Support

The president has been supportive of decisions in both Colorado and Washington state to legalize the sale of recreational marijuana use, saying that individual states should have the power to decide how the drug is treated. Obama has also said he sees more states following suit in the coming years as the industry continues to grow.

While it is still unclear as to whether or not lawmakers will leave the budget language as is, White House support for an initiative that was widely popular among D.C. voters marks a big step forward for the cannabis industry. Many politicians are beginning to get behind the legalization of marijuana as the issue gains national support among their constituents, something that will likely spur on more legalization efforts across the country.