Rep. Mica with a fake joint. Via CSPAN.
House Republicans are considering a measure to block D.C.’s marijuana decriminalization law, according to Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton.
In a release, Norton says multiples sources have informed her office that an amendment to the District of Columbia Appropriations bill, which will be marked up Wednesday, to block the law is being considered.
“Considering the recent House hearing on the city’s decriminalization bill, but on none of the states that have decriminalized marijuana, we certainly are not surprised, and we have been preparing for Republicans to try to block D.C.’s marijuana decriminalization bill,” Norton said. “It would be particularly ironic and offensive if only a few weeks after the Republican-led House approved an amendment to block the federal government from prosecuting users and sellers of medical marijuana in states that permit it those same members voted to block D.C.’s local marijuana bill. However, it took us more than 10 years to remove the congressional prohibition on implementing our medical marijuana law. We cannot depend on consistency or an aversion to hypocrisy to save our law. We simply have to fight, and fight we will.”
The D.C. Council passed the bill in March, and it was signed by Mayor Vince Gray that month. The legislation, which punishes possessing less than an ounce of pot with a $25 fine, is currently under a 60-day Congressional review period.
At a May House Oversight and Government Reform panel on the bill, Rep John Fleming (R-La.) spoke out against D.C.’s decriminalization bill and said he was considering introducing a resolution to block it. Fleming, however, is not on the Appropriations Committee.
Norton did not name names in her release. There are 29 Republicans on the House Appropriations Committee, many of whom have poor ratings from the pro-marijuana lobbying organization NORML. A spokesperson for the committee did not confirm the amendment.
Update: Roll Call’s Hannah Hess reports that Rep. Andy Harris, a physician, will introduce the rider.
