From the Cannabis Campaign’s election party. Photo by Matt Cohen.

From the Cannabis Campaign’s election party. Photo by Matt Cohen.

D.C.’s marijuana legalization initiative might be in trouble.

According to members of the D.C. Cannabis Campaign—the grassroots organization behind D.C.’s marijuana ballot initiative, Initiative 71—Congress may block their initiative, despite it overwhelmingly passing in the November general election. Over email, Cannabis Campaign head Adam Eidinger tells DCist that Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi are negotiating a deal with House republicans to protect D.C.’s recently enacted marijuana decriminalization law at the expense of pot legalization.

The Post first reported that, in addition to Eidinger, three other people close to the issue have said that both parties are negotiating a budget rider that would block Initiative 71 from taking effect.

A request for comment on the rumored rider from Reid, Pelosi, and Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton’s office has yet to be returned. No one has seen the budget rider yet, so its exact details aren’t known.

“In light of recent events in Ferguson and New York, it is particularly disturbing that Congress would choose to overturn the will of the voters in a majority black city,” Dr. Malik Burnett, Policy Manager at Drug Policy Alliance and Vice-Chair of the Cannabis Campaign said in a statement. “D.C. voters chose to reform their marijuana laws, which have a direct impact on how communities of color interact with police. Congress is poised to undermine that.”

Over the summer, House Republicans similarly tried to block D.C.’s marijuana decriminalization law in the form of a rider attached to the House Appropriations Committee budget bill. The amendment, which was introduced by Maryland Rep. Andy Harris, ultimately failed.

As the Post reports, it’s unclear what the Democrats will do in response to this rumored rider, but it if it passes, it won’t be good news for Initiative 71:

It was unclear Tuesday morning what Democrats may exact in return, but if passed as advocates fear, the spending bill would effectively render the will of D.C. voters invalid. The city would not be allowed to spend its own money for the remainder of the fiscal year to implement a new drug law. With Republicans set to take full control of Congress next year, there also appeared to be little chance that would soon change.

Although nothing is certain yet and the exact details of the rumored rider are still unknown, that’s not stopping marijuana advocates from voicing their outrage to lawmakers. Eidinger is already waiting at Reid’s office to speak with him and some marijuana advocates were kicked out of a Heritage Foundation event today where Harris is speaking.

The Drug Policy Alliance has already drafted letters to Democratic leaders asking them to stand up for Initiative 71:

Reid_Pelosi_sign_on_FY2015_Approps.pdf

DC_Policy_riders.MIKULSKI_naacp.pdf

We’ll update when more information becomes available.

Filed Under: cannabis campaign, congress, harry reid, initiative 71, marijuana legalization, marijuana policy, nancy pelosi,