A Republican-led House committee has approved a spending bill that includes provisions to block the Justice Department from rescheduling marijuana. The legislation also maintains a longstanding rider that protects state medical cannabis programs from federal interference, but with new language authorizing enhanced penalties for sales near schools and parks.
The bill, which covers Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS), was passed by the House Appropriations Committee on Wednesday. This is the second time the committee has included language hostile to marijuana rescheduling efforts in its base legislation.
The bill would block the Justice Department from using its funds to reschedule or deschedule marijuana, which is currently classified as a Schedule I drug under federal law. The administration had recommended moving cannabis to Schedule III, but the process has been delayed due to challenges from witnesses in administrative hearings.
The legislation also maintains a rider that prevents the Justice Department from interfering with state medical marijuana programs, which has been in place since 2014. However, the bill does include new language authorizing enhanced penalties for distributing cannabis within 1,000 feet of an elementary school, vocational school, college, playground, or public housing unit.
The bill also includes a provision that keeps intact a longstanding rider preventing the Justice Department from interfering with state hemp research programs.
In related news, the committee separately approved a spending bill with an attached report that recommends researchers study a broader range of marijuana products to better represent the variety, quality, and potency of commonly available cannabis strains.
The legislation is a setback for advocates who had hoped to see marijuana rescheduling efforts move forward. However, some relief was expressed that the bill continues to preserve the longstanding rider protecting state medical marijuana programs.
The bill now heads to the full House for consideration.
