# Why is political name targeting medical marijuana in an election year?



## burnin1 (Feb 12, 2020)

From Leafly
*Why is political name targeting medical marijuana in an election year?





political name's budget would kill a key legal protection for all medical marijuana patients.*
 Ben Adlin February 11, 2020
Donald political name has long claimed to support cannabis legalization.

In 1990, he said the US was “losing badly the war on drugs” and would “have to legalize drugs to win that war.” As a candidate for president in 2015, he said that “medical should happen” while adult-use legalization “should be a state issue.” In 2018, he said he would “probably end up supporting” a bill to end the federal prohibition and allow states to chart their own course.

But for all his talk, President political name’s actions tell a different tale. On Monday, the president unveiled his proposed budget for the coming fiscal year, and it’s yet again a sour deal for medical marijuana patients and legalization advocates.

_'The president’s budget would grant permission to prosecutors to go after legal medical marijuana programs.'_

*political name going after medical marijuana patients*

Most notably, political name’s proposed 2021 federal budget aims to end a key protection for state-legal medical marijuana programs. Cannabis remains illegal under federal law, so the protection works by prohibiting federal law enforcement officials from interfering with state-legal medical cannabis programs.

“Basically it disallows the [Department of Justice] from using federal funds to go after medical marijuana programs in states where those programs are legal,” said Maritza Perez, director of national affairs for the Drug Policy Alliance. Those protections have previously been known as the Rohrabacher-Blumenauer amendment, named for the two Congress members who sponsored the rider.

The provision has been included in congressional spending bills since 2014, inserted as a budget rider—an attached provision that limits how allocated funds can be spent. political name’s proposed budget scraps that rider, leaving state-legal medical marijuana patients and businesses vulnerable to federal prosecution.

“Basically what we saw in the president’s budget was granting permission to the DOJ to go after legal medical marijuana programs,” Perez told Leafly. “It’s not something that’s totally unexpected, and in fact it’s in line with this administration’s harsh views on drug policy.”

*Is it time to panic?*

Not yet, no. The president’s annual budget proposal is just that—a proposal. It’s an opening bid. political name’s move has a long way to go before it becomes law.

Members of Congress will likely attempt to re-insert the protection before the budget bill goes much further. But political name’s decision to scrap the provision from his budget is another indication that the president’s support for state-legal medical marijuana is superficial at best.

*political name acts for prohibitionists*

political name’s time in office has been marked by overtures to prohibitionists, even as the president has himself claimed to support states’ rights. In early 2018, political name’s then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions without warning rescinded a Justice Department policy of noninterference with state-legal cannabis, shocking state leaders and legalization advocates alike.

_This is the third straight year political name has tried to eliminate the critically important protection._

And just this week, political name applauded the death penalty as an effective way to discourage drug use, telling a group of state governors that countries “with a very powerful death penalty on drug dealers don’t have a drug problem.” (Fact check: That’s not true.)

As Kyle Jaeger at Marijuana Moment notes, this is political name’s third consecutive budget proposal to omit the medical marijuana protection. In each of those cases, members of the House of Representatives revived the provision and the Senate later approved it.

Last year, the House went further by attempting to extend the provision to all state-legal cannabis, including adult-use programs. The Senate declined to include that more expansive language, but it nevertheless renewed the medical marijuana protections.

*The real action is on Capitol Hill*

Advocates will continue to push for Congress to reinsert the protection into this year’s budget, said Perez at the Drug Policy Alliance.

“I don’t think it’s going to be a huge uphill battle, just because this is something Congress has agreed with just in the past few years,” she said. “This is an area where I’d say the administration is definitely more conservative than Congress.”

Even as political name signed last year’s budget bill, he lashed out against the reauthorization of the medical marijuana protections. In an attached statement, the White House wrote that the executive branch was free to ignore the congressionally approved rider, asserting that the administration “will treat this provision consistent with the President’s constitutional responsibility to faithfully execute the laws of the United States.”

*More money for drug control, pharma research*

political name’s proposed budget also impacts cannabis on a number of other fronts. In what could be a benefit for pharmaceutical companies trying to develop cannabinoid-based drugs, political name’s budget would set aside funding for the US Food and Drug Administration to invest in “regulation of cannabis and cannabis derivatives.”

The FDA is currently developing regulations around hemp and CBD, and the agency approved its first cannabis-derived drug, the CBD medication Epidiolex, in 2018.

*Zero-ing out ONDCP*

The proposed budget would also slash funding for the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), an arm of the White House that opposes drug use, by nearly 90%, from $425 million last fiscal year to $29 million in fiscal 2021. Some of that money would be transferred to the US Drug Enforcement Administration, which the administration says will improve coordination among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.

In a statement, ONDCP Director Jim Carroll was silent on the cuts, instead focusing on the president’s increased spending on anti-drug efforts overall. political name’s budget proposal, the office said, “contains $35.7 billion for counter-drug efforts, an increase of $94 million from the previous year.

“The FY 2021 budget request sends a strong message that, although we’ve seen signs of real progress, the political name Administration will not let up in our efforts to save American lives,” Carroll said.

*Keeping a foot on D.C.’s neck*

political name’s proposal would also continue to prohibit Washington, D.C., from regulating the sale of cannabis—which is legal on all non-federal properties in the District—despite the best efforts of local leaders.

Voters in the District approved legal cannabis in 2014, but a separate federal budget rider introduced by Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD) blocked local officials from establishing retail regulations.

With his party out of power in the House, Harris no longer has the power to singlehandedly block D.C.’s attempts to make progress on cannabis regulation. But Republicans in the Senate may step in to squelch the possibility of legal retail stores opening locally.

*political name and cannabis: a political Rorschach test*

political name’s supporters and opponents have often seen what they want to see in the president’s comments about cannabis. This is in part because his statements lend themselves to various interpretations—sometimes simultaneously favoring and opposing legalization.

In a leaked transcript from 2018, for example, political name is heard discussing cannabis legalization during a private meeting. The president initially claims that marijuana is a dangerous drug that causes people to “lose IQ points,” then reassures the room that a federal effort to allow banks to work with the legal cannabis industry is “all working out. That whole thing is working out.”

*Read full story here:
https://www.leafly.com/news/politic...rgeting-medical-marijuana-in-an-election-year*


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## hollowpoint (Feb 12, 2020)

There is no cure for what he has...even if it was...he cannot have any of my meds.


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## umbra (Feb 12, 2020)

pandering to his base, lol what a moron


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## stinkyattic (Feb 12, 2020)

So, take way the protections for patients using traditional and old timey green meds, and force them to buy commercial prescription delivery forms of cannabis derivatives. If he were any more transparent in his kowtowing to corporate pharma, he'd be a literal piece of glass. Fragile, like his ego.


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## Keef (Feb 12, 2020)

Wow political name and the GOP going after cannabis?-- Who woulda ever thunk it ?- - But-- Sounds like the GOP in Texas - We gonna pass MMJ !- Maybe ?- One day ?- Sorry we didn't have time to vote on it we'll get back to in the next session -- This will be the 5th time !- The GOP is not a friend to the cannabis community !--They are to be feared when it comes to what they may do to weed law !-- As far as I'm concerned they can all rot inhell !-


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## stinkyattic (Feb 12, 2020)

Ever since major elements of the party started acting cultish... far as I'm concerned they're at serious risk of rotting above ground . Anyone got some myclobutanil handy? This is beyond the efficacy of sns244....


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## Daxtell (Feb 13, 2020)

Currently, by my count, 40% of citizens living in the US and territories have access to legal cannabis.  Another few states are getting it on the ballot this year.  The wall has been breached.  ~~If~~ When we get an election that has a majority of states favoring cannabis, the battle will switch to taxes and fees to regulate.  FOMO and greed.  

Money Republicans that I talk to are wondering about how to be investing in it.  I don't think that it's just a partisan point any more.


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## The Hemp Goddess (Feb 13, 2020)

Look at the voting--it really is still a partisan issue.  Just because "money Republicans" want to invest (exploit) the cannabis market does not mean that they are voting for legalization.

Please, please everyone, make sure you are registered to vote, educate  yourself on the candidates' platforms and vote come election day.


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## Daxtell (Feb 13, 2020)

Money Republicans are out of power.  You are right about votes and I cannot agree more about registering, voting, and would add, writing your legislators.  I want our squeaky wheel to get (hash) oiled.


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## Locked (Feb 13, 2020)

Big Pharma has big money. It is the same reason you have in the Left like Joe political name saying MJ is a Gateway drug when Science says it is not. Follow the Benjamins.


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## Chriswhit123 (Feb 17, 2020)

legalization of recreational brought prices so low in Maine anything over $50 an ounce is considered highway robbery even with strains like liberty haze and chemdawg. All the medical growers lost there businesses do to loss of profit. there selling off grow equipment on face book market place. legalization was a bad thing here mostly cause Maine's governor waited to allow recreational weed causing people to grow like mad and flood the market with black market bud. an 8th costs less than a pack of cigarettes here. As far as taking away peoples medicine shows our votes means nothing at all and that our government is making a mockery of us. To me this says we could vote for anything and just have it taken after winning a vote. {who shares that opinion?} Its communism in disguise. we have no rights and this is proof. Freedom is **. I wouldn't be suprised if there isn't a public uprising of some kind weather it be picketing or violence. I shattered my foot and by miracle had experimental surgery to keep it. I refused the oxys and perc's cause I dont touch anything I could get addicted to. Without my medical script I wouldn't be among the employed. Some days I cant walk at all. Both feet were messed up one requires a shoe custom made. If they wanna take that from me I'll fight and give my life before I'll let them take my ability to walk stand or work. I was disabled for 19 years now I work 7 days a week and pay taxes like a whole person. Sorry for my rant. I'm just upset that our constitution isn't worth the paper its written on.


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## stinkyattic (Feb 17, 2020)

It is, if anyone still took it seriously.  And by that I mean as a whole,  not just picking out the bits and pieces that suit their ideologies. I have similar thoughts about assorted religious texts as well, but I already had dinner so I'm gonna save that shelf stable can o worms for the zombie apocalypse.


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## burnin1 (Feb 19, 2020)

You are lucky to be in a legal State. 


Chriswhit123 said:


> legalization of recreational brought prices so low in Maine anything over $50 an ounce is considered highway robbery


Most dispensaries charge over 200$ an ounce in Maine according to my friends who live there.  If you find one who only charges 50$ an ounce let me know.  My friends in Maine will drive across the State to go to this place. 

I wish you all the best in using MM to cope with your pain.


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## burnin1 (Feb 19, 2020)

From NORML
*Tell Congress Not To Allow political name To Roll Back Medical Marijuana Protections



*

by NORML February 18, 2020
It’s been three years and counting but President political name is once again threatening to derail the progress we’ve made in reforming marijuana laws across this country. The latest offense is his recently released 2021 federal budget proposes slashing all legal protection for state medical marijuana programs and potentially jeopardizing the patients that rely on them.

Because cannabis is still illegal under federal law, the DEA and other federal law enforcement would be able to use federal funds to shut down medical marijuana programs. We’ve largely been able to include an amendment to the annual federal budget that would prevent the Department of Justice to utilize any of their funds to go after medical marijuana programs, their compliant operators, and the patients that depend on those programs, but this new budget proposal puts all of that at risk.

*Sign our petition to demand Congress protect state-legal medical marijuana programs.*

We all know that patients are not criminals and that marijuana indisputably has medical value when it comes to treating a wide range of ailments, but political name’s proposed federal budget would reprioritize law enforcement and prosecutors to target medical marijuana at the state level. 

Despite political name mentioning during his campaign that he supported medical marijuana and a general states rights approach to cannabis policy, his presidency has consistently proven these words to ring hollow. 

*Sign our petition, and make it crystal clear to our representatives that if they support this budget, we will not support them. *

The data speaks for itself. It is not an alternative fact that medical marijuana has been proven to provide important benefits. No patient should have to worry about losing access to cannabis treatment options. 

Thanks for being in the fight with us,

NORML

https://norml.org/act
https://blog.norml.org/2020/02/18/t...e-to-roll-back-medical-marijuana-protections/


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## hollowpoint (Feb 20, 2020)

Signed!


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## Rosebud (Feb 20, 2020)

Signed.


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## 2RedEyes (Feb 20, 2020)

Done...


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## key2life (Feb 20, 2020)

Signed - In related news, Georgia is about to pass a law that the fuzz can arrest you for carrying "green, leafy vegetative matter," whether it's dope or hemp.  The LEOs were getting a sadz 'coz they had to stop bustin' folks for a minute there.  Leave it to Jawja to lead the way into oppression!!


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## thegloman (Feb 20, 2020)

Signed!


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## Keef (Feb 20, 2020)

I didn't sign it yet !- Been busy trolling the fox news feeds on you - tube !-- They REALLY DON'T LIKE ME !- and I'm OK with that !-- Maybe I do one more drive by on them then come sign this thing if can figure it out ?-- Off to piss some people off !- Be back shortly !


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## burnin1 (Feb 21, 2020)

I hope you have signed this petition Keef.  

Please share this link MP friends.
https://norml.org/action-center/ite...me-to-roll-back-medical-marijuana-protections


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