U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) is commending the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations action advancing an amendment protecting legal cannabis programs.
The committee’s advancement of the fiscal year 2023 Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies bill included the Lee-Joyce amendment, which was introduced by Lee and U.S. Rep. David Joyce (R-OH).
The amendment prohibits the Department of Justice (DOJ) from interfering with states, territories, and tribes, allowing them to uphold their own laws that authorize the use, distribution, possession, or cultivation of marijuana.
“This amendment simply restores the protections, preventing the Department of Justice from prosecuting those that comply with their state, tribal or territorial laws,” Lee, a member of the House Appropriations Committee and chair of the Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations, said. “Currently, there is a gap between federal law and those states, territories, and tribes with legal cannabis. This amendment will also prevent the inefficient use of DOJ resources to prosecute those in compliance with state, territory, and tribal laws.”
Lee said most Americans reside in a jurisdiction where the medical or adult use of cannabis is legal under state law.
“We believe that the federal government should not interfere with these programs and should respect the will of the people residing in these states, territories, and tribal jurisdictions,” she said. “It is critically important that we protect states, territories, and tribes that have made progress toward restorative justice by not interfering with their local laws.”