Congress May Overturn DC Marijuana Legalization

Congress May Overturn DC Marijuana Legalization
December 9, 2014

Despite earlier hopeful reports to the contrary, it looks like Congress could nullify the marijuana victory last month in Washington DC that legalized personal possession and use of cannabis.

According to various news reports, congressional party leaders have reportedly reached a deal to overturn Initiative 71, which was approved by an overwhelming majority of DC voters in November’s election. The Washington Post reported that a provision included in a spending bill to avoid a federal government shutdown would cancel Initiative 71 by restricting spending in the district.

Congress is likely to vote on the spending bill later this week to keep the government open.

The news site Vox reported that the supposed deal “keeps (marijuana) decriminalization intact but blocks full legalization.”

Congress previously used similar tactics to stall implementation of medical marijuana in the nation’s capital for a dozen years.

The Drug Policy Alliance quickly issued a press release on Tuesday condemning the supposed deal, and said it and multiple groups – including the district’s branches of the ACLU, the NAACP and the National Organization of Women – signed an open letter to Democratic party leaders urging them to let Initiative 71 stand.

Initiative 71 didn’t legalize marijuana sales, but if allowed to take effect would permit adults 21 and over to possess up to two ounces of cannabis, grow up to six plants at home, and give marijuana to friends. The DC city council has been mulling passing an ordinance to allow for the sale and taxation of marijuana if the new law stands.

source http://mmjbusinessdaily.com/congress-may-overturn-dc-marijuana-legalization/

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Republican and Democratic leadership in Congress are working together to overturn Initiative 71, a ballot measure legalizing marijuana that 70% of voters in our nation's capital voted for last month.

-Bill Piper
Director, Office of National Affairs
Drug Policy Alliance

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Wow, You would think congress has some much more important issues to focus on. Good lord what a bunch of loosers. Why dont you fix some real problems instead of reinstating the ones the people already fixed. Sure just go against what 70% of you people want. How much more proof do we need that these clowns do not represent the people and are just hand puppets bought and paid for by lobbyists.

Congress Moving to Block D.C. Marijuana Legalization

Provisions in Must-Pass Spending Bill Would Overturn the Will of D.C. Voters

Civil Rights and Racial Justice Groups Send Open Letter to Democratic Leadership Encouraging Them to Stand Up for D.C. Voters

Media sources are reporting that members of Congress are negotiating provisions to a government funding bill that would block the nation’s capital in its efforts to legalize marijuana. Initiative 71 passed on Nov. 4, with 70% of voters approving the measure to legalize small amounts of marijuana for personal use. The language has been included in a must-pass funding bill that Congress will likely vote on later this week.

“Democratic leadership made it clear they would stand with voters on this crucial racial justice issue, and push back against Republican opposition to the D.C. law,” said Michael Collins, Policy Manager at Drug Policy Alliance’s Office of National Affairs. “Democrats have always made claims of supporting D.C. home rule now is their chance to stand with 70% of voters in the District who voted for marijuana reform,” Collins said.

The campaign for Initiative 71 was based squarely on ending racially-biased enforcement of marijuana laws, following a 2013 ACLU report that showed that African Americans were eight times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than whites, despite use rates being the same across races.

A number of civil rights and other advocacy groups such as the Drug Policy Alliance, D.C. Vote, and the D.C. branches of the ACLU, NAACP, and the National Organization of Women have signed on to an open letter encouraging democratic leadership to protect the will of D.C. voters in the budget negotiations process. “As you conclude negotiations over the FY15 Financial Services and General Government appropriations bill, we urge you to reject all efforts to include undemocratic restrictions on DC’s rights,” the letter said.

Democrats are rumored to be cutting a deal with Republicans where they can save face by claiming that they protected D.C.’s marijuana decriminalization law from elimination, even if they failed to protect legalization. The decriminalization law, passed by the D.C. City Council earlier this year, replaced prosecution with a civil penalty of $25 for possession. But giving up legalization in budget negotiations to protect the decriminalization law is a pyrrhic victory. The D.C. decriminalization law still means that police can stop people of color and harass them, as 77% of tickets written by police for marijuana offenses were given in communities of color. Legalization ends this process completely, while simultaneously eliminating the dangerous illicit market.

“In light of recent events in Ferguson and New York, it is particularly disturbing that Congress would choose to overturn the will of the voters in a majority black city,” said Dr. Malik Burnett, Policy Manager at Drug Policy Alliance and Vice-Chair of the D.C. Cannabis Campaign, which was responsible for the passage of Initiative 71. “D.C. voters chose to reform their marijuana laws, which have a direct impact on how communities of color interact with police. Congress is poised to undermine that.”

Cramming language that blocks D.C.’s marijuana initiative into a must-pass funding bill was a strategy deliberately chosen by Hal Roger (R-KY), Chair of the House Appropriations Committee, and Andy Harris (R-MD), the amendment’s sponsor. “It was clear from five marijuana reform wins on the House floor this summer that Harris and Rogers didn’t have the votes to block this by holding a vote in the House and Senate,” Collins said. “The Republican Party is split on the issue of marijuana reform, and most know that this issue is only headed in one direction – Harris and Rogers are on the wrong side of history.” While Democrats like Congresswoman Norton (D-D.C.) have been strong champions on this issue, Democratic leadership appear ready to cede to the demands of Hal Rogers.

This development is especially appalling given that last month’s election appeared to solidify drug policy reform's place as a mainstream political issue – not just in D.C. but throughout the United States. Voters across the country accelerated the unprecedented momentum to legalize marijuana and end the wider drug war, with marijuana legalization measures passing in Oregon, Alaska and Washington, D.C., and with groundbreaking criminal justice reforms passing in California and New Jersey. Polls over the past few years have consistently found that a clear majority of Americans support marijuana legalization and other drug policy reforms.

http://www.drugpolicy.org/news/2014/12/congress-moving-block-dc-marijuana-legalization

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For anyone who is a member of DPA they have started an action petition to try and stop this madness, so you may want to add your name.

Well, cannabis is just too dangerous.
So is listening to the will of the people.

Better to stick with safe drugs like alcohol and tobacco

Damn I hope they dont change it.

Called it!

slimvictor said:

Well, cannabis is just too dangerous.
So is listening to the will of the people.

Better to stick with safe drugs like alcohol and tobacco

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Who says Cannabis is dangerous?

Tobacco is way worse..

So is alcohol..

*cough* sarcasm *cough cough*

Okay..
My bad..

What is most disturbing about this is that it effectively proves that the US is not a real democracy. An overwhelming majority voting for something in a fairly-polled referendum should become law, no ifs ands or buts.

If they do nullify Initiative 71, then congrats for making it clear to Americans who voted yes that their government has - for the most part - embraced fascism, and effectively wiped their asses with democracy, and with the U.S. Constitution in general. Lying sacks of shit.

^ Exactly. This will work against Congress. It looks bad because it is. The people voted. This is all part of the process of moving forward. The momentum to legalize is momentous. Good work Congress. You just showed your true colors.

Damn. I really hope this law stands. DC is a whole hell of a lot closer to NJ than Colorado or Washington... I want to see the promised land of buying weed in a fucking store instead of waiting for the stoner dealer who's gonna show up 2 hours later than he said because he has no idea what a fucking clock is.

I'm pretty sure they have already done something to prevent it...it was on CNN.

Welcome to the racist, fascist land of the "free."

Thanks to self-proclaimed addiction "experts" like the delusional Rep. Andy Harris, yet even more non-violent, otherwise law-abiding Americans will have their lives forever tainted due to a criminal record - all because they were caught with pieces of a PLANT in their pockets.

Albert Einstein once said: "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results."

Well, I strongly believe that 43 years of zero progress but no changes; 43 years of this antiquated, draconian, hypocritical war on (certain) drugs is a perfect example of what he implied.

Dear Department for the Exploitation of Asset-forfeiture (DEA), prohibitionist bureaucrats, and drug warrior politicians/dictators, you're all a parasitic scourge to a once-prosperous democracy. You're all a cancerous tumor that has unjustly ruined countless innocent lives; a cancerous tumor that needs to be completely and permanently removed if America is to avoid a second civil war.

May you all experience tenfold the misery and hopelessness which you've imparted for over 4 decades upon countless harmless, vulnerable men, women, and children of this nation. All because of their preference for intoxicant; all because they didn't prefer alcohol and/or nicotine; all because of a victimless "crime."

As expected..

ro4eva said:

Welcome to the racist, fascist land of the "free."

Thanks to self-proclaimed addiction "experts" like the delusional Rep. Andy Harris, yet even more non-violent, otherwise law-abiding Americans will have their lives forever tainted due to a criminal record - all because they were caught with pieces of a PLANT in their pockets.

Albert Einstein once said: "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results."

Well, I strongly believe that 43 years of zero progress but no changes; 43 years of this antiquated, draconian, hypocritical war on (certain) drugs is a perfect example of what he implied.

Dear Department for the Exploitation of Asset-forfeiture (DEA), prohibitionist bureaucrats, and drug warrior politicians/dictators, you're all a parasitic scourge to a once-prosperous democracy. You're all a cancerous tumor that has unjustly ruined countless innocent lives; a cancerous tumor that needs to be completely and permanently removed if America is to avoid a second civil war.

May you all experience tenfold the misery and hopelessness which you've imparted for over 4 decades upon countless harmless, vulnerable men, women, and children of this nation. All because of their preference for intoxicant; all because they didn't prefer alcohol and/or nicotine; all because of a victimless "crime."

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It makes me absolutely livid whenever someone says that drinking is acceptable, but drug use isn't. I was at my sub dr and she was like well, drinking occasionally is ok. Why the fuck isn't using a drug occasionally ok? As a person in their 20s, you can tell someone you drank to the point of alcohol poisoning and no one gives a shit. Mention that you've used heroin and they'll never look at you the same again. I fucking hate that shit.

The U.S. isn't a democracy, never has been. It's a Democratic Republic. There are three branches of government: executive, legislature, and the courts. Any one of them can weigh in and nullify something, and yet another branch can decide that the nullification wasn't right. It was designed this way to prevent mob rule. If all it took was a majority vote on something, then the public could go after minorities, or the stupid could be manipulated by someone powerful to vote away their own rights.

If congress nullifies the cannabis vote, then it will end up in the courts and likely the courts will side with the voters since there's precedent in other states for cannabis decriminalization.

^ interesting take. Thanks.

Foreigner said:

The U.S. isn't a democracy, never has been. It's a Democratic Republic. There are three branches of government: executive, legislature, and the courts. Any one of them can weigh in and nullify something, and yet another branch can decide that the nullification wasn't right. It was designed this way to prevent mob rule. If all it took was a majority vote on something, then the public could go after minorities, or the stupid could be manipulated by someone powerful to vote away their own rights.

If congress nullifies the cannabis vote, then it will end up in the courts and likely the courts will side with the voters since there's precedent in other states for cannabis decriminalization.

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This isn't anything new. They do this all the time with proposition referendums. The supreme court will overturn a vote for its own causes, it's got little to do with mob rule. Courts allow mob rule when they agree with it.