The Cromnibus Deal Includes A ‘Stunning Victory’ On Marijuana Legalization [View all]

[KeepItReal]

From ThinkProgress:

Members of Congress drew the ire of Washington, D.C. residents when they inserted a rider into the budget deal that would effectively block Washington, D.C. from fully legalizing recreational marijuana.

But if the now-foundering budget deal dubbed Cromnibus or another similar one manages to pass, it will also have some much better news for marijuana advocates. Another provision added to the budget would protect medical marijuana laws in every state that has legalized it, by prohibiting the Department of Justice from using federal funds to prosecute medical marijuana actors in states where their actions are legal.

Drug policy organizations are hailing the amendment. Law Enforcement Against Prohibition called it a “stunning victory.” And Tony Newman of the Drug Policy Alliance said, “For the first time, Congress is letting states set their own medical marijuana and hemp policies, a huge step forward for sensible drug policy.

...

The House also passed two other amendments stripping funds for federal intervention in state hemp production and hemp research projects, after recent DEA intervention triggered a battle with Kentucky over its experimental hemp program.

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2014/12/11/3602009/the-congressional-budget-includes-a-stunning-victory-on-medical-marijuana/

So the *law* allows pensions to cut benefits, increases money in politics, and lets Wall Street run wild with derivatives that will be backed up by the FDIC, but maybe legalized marijuana will be left alone. This Congress is like Harvey Dent.