Category: Federal Law

Federal Marijuana Laws

Posted on

Protection Extended for State Medical Marijuana Programs

US Congress Protects State Marijuana

After a brief government shutdown, protection for state medical marijuana programs was extended again until March 23, 2018.  Congress and the President signed off on a six-week continuing resolution.

The budget resolution extends the Rohrabacher-Blumenauer Amendment which prohibits the use of funds to prevent certain States from implementing their own State laws that authorize the use, distribution, possession, or cultivation of medical marijuana.  That language was initially passed by Congress in 2014 as the Rohrabacher-Farr Amendment (H.Amdt.748) and is now known as the Rohrabacher-Blumenauer Amendment.  This is the eighth time the amendment has been temporarily extended by a continuing resolution from Congress, which hasn’t passed a new federal budget since 2015.

The Rohrabacher-Blumenauer Amendment was supported by a bipartisan group letter to House and Senate leadership from 66 Congress members including Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-California, and Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Oregon.

Also in support of the Rohrabacher-Blumenauer Amendment was a letter from California State Treasurer John Chiang.  Read more about state cannabis law at California Cannabis Law.

Contact us to learn more about California state or local cannabis regulations, cannabis regulatory compliance, and cannabis litigation.

Posted on

Lawmakers Call For Veterans Affairs Research Into Medical Marijuana

Veterans Affairs & Medical Marijuana

House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Tim Walz (D-MN) and the nine other Democratic members of the committee sent a letter to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Dr. David Shulkin urging the Veterans Health Administration Office of Research and Development to begin conducting and examining research into medical marijuana’s effects on veterans suffering from chronic pain and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The letter notes that 13 percent of veterans prescribed opioids have formed an addiction to the drug.  As a response to the opioid epidemic, Congress passed The Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) which directed VHA to continue its efforts to reduce VHA reliance on opioid medication for pain management.  The letter discussed concerns regarding veterans’ lack of access to alternatives to opioid-based treatments such as complementary and alternative medicine including medical marijuana and its cannabinoids.

“VA is uniquely situated to pursue research on the impact of medical marijuana on veterans suffering from chronic pain and PTSD…” reads the letter.  “VA’s pursuit of research into the impact of medical marijuana on the treatment of veterans diagnosed with PTSD who are also experiencing chronic pain is integral to the advancement of health care for veterans and the Nation.”

Read the full letter – Veterans Affairs Research Into Medical Marijuana.