It seems the controversial $1.1T spending bill that is preventing the U.S. government from shutting down is chock full of surprises. As you may know, much to the dismay of marijuana activists and lovers of democracy everywhere, the bill smacked down Washington DCs referendum that legalized recreational marijuana in the nation’s capital. What you may have missed (because those shifty politicians are doing everything under the table) is that the bill also quietly, but effectively lifted the federal ban on medical marijuana.
In the depths of the 1,603-page document is a provision that prohibits federal agents from raiding retail medical cannabis operations in states that have legalized medical cannabis. The passage represents “the first time in decades that the federal government has curtailed its oppressive prohibition of marijuana,” the measure’s co-author, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, told the LA Times.
Though President Obama has generally favored this approach policy-wise, the passage of the bill also ensures that the next president can’t backtrack and begin busting medical cannabis operations.
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