This past Wednesday, several lawmakers met to decide if the House should vote on an amendment that would prevent the Justice Department from pursuing states that have legalized medical marijuana. This legislation is critical to protect state rights from Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who has long sought a crackdown on cannabis legalization. Without this legislation, states would lose the protection they have had for the past four years.

At a Wednesday morning closed-door briefing of House Republicans, California Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R) implored his GOP colleagues to press House leaders to allow a vote on his amendment. After the meeting, several lawmakers said Wednesday that GOP leaders won’t allow the full House to vote on the amendment.  

Fellow Californian Rep. Duncan Hunter told The Hill that after Rohrabacher “talked about it this morning in conference,” GOP leaders said “it splits the conference too much so we’re not going to have a vote on it.”

Rohrabacher had pled with his colleagues in a Tuesday night floor speech to allow the vote.

“The status quo for four years has been the federal government will not interfere because the Department of Justice is not permitted to use its resources to supercede a state that has legalized the medical use of marijuana,” Rohrabacher said.

He said that without his amendment, “we’re changing the status quo in a way that undermines the rights of the states and the people … to make their policy.”

Sources: http://thehill.com/video/lawmaker-interviews/349492-house-gop-blocks-vote-protecting-medical-marijuana-states

Bryce Sampson

A caffeine dependent life form.