A key GOP-led House committee has approved a large-scale spending bill that would block the Justice Department from rescheduling marijuana, as stated in Marijuana Moment. The committee also amended a longstanding rider that was protecting medical cannabis states from federal interference by adding new language to authorize enhanced penalties for sales near schools and parks.
Members rejected an amendment that would have extended those protections to all state and tribal cannabis programs, including those allowing recreational use and sales, according to Marijuana Moment.
This comes just months after the DOJ published its formal proposal for cannabis rescheduling, officially putting what is set to be the most meaningful overhaul of cannabis regulation in 50-years into motion. Following the publication of the proposals on May 21, 2024, all interested parties were given 60 days to submit their comments on the proposals, giving them until July 22, according to Business of Cannabis.
As it stands, the bill that would block marijuana rescheduling states that ‘none of the funds appropriated or other wise made available by this Act may be used to reschedule marijuana or to remove marijuana from the schedules established under Section 202 of the Controlled Substances Act.’
This will most likely cause a long and protracted battle, and only time can tell if marijuana will in fact be rescheduled or not.
