Jacob Redmond
Well-Known Member
Congress still has until Feb. 26 to intervene and block D.C.'s new law that would legalize recreational marijuana use. The D.C. Council isn't going to wait up on lawmakers, though. The council will convene a 10:30 a.m. hearing on Monday to consider a proposal to regulate pot by taxing it like alcohol.
The Marijuana Legalization and Regulation Act of 2015 would follow the passage of a November ballot measure, Initiative 71, which legislators are now reviewing. That measure would provide a basis for legalization, but the council will have to enact additional rules to provide a regulatory framework in the District.
The hearing comes after D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser met with House Speaker John Boehner in January to briefly discuss issues that included marijuana legalization in the city. A federal budget bill passed in December included language aimed at preventing the District from using funds to enact new laws related to marijuana legalization, but local leaders have adopted the stance that Initiative 71 was self-enacting when it passed.
Meanwhile, Acting Director of National Drug Control Policy Michael Botticelli has weighed in, saying that despite his own reservations about marijuana legalization, he doesn't believe the federal government should stop D.C. from implementing its new law. President Obama has also provided a nominal level of support by using language his his recent budget proposal that would potentially provide the District with more flexibility in the matter.
Update: The Monday D.C. Council hearing has reportedly been downgraded to a roundtable to avoid stirring up conflict with Congress.
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Marijuana Hearing Going Forward Without Nod From Congress | DC Inno
Author: Brian Warmoth
Contact: @BrianWarmoth
Photo Credit: LiveTradingNews
Website: DC Inno (formerly InTheCapital) | Washington DC Tech, City and Political News
The Marijuana Legalization and Regulation Act of 2015 would follow the passage of a November ballot measure, Initiative 71, which legislators are now reviewing. That measure would provide a basis for legalization, but the council will have to enact additional rules to provide a regulatory framework in the District.
The hearing comes after D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser met with House Speaker John Boehner in January to briefly discuss issues that included marijuana legalization in the city. A federal budget bill passed in December included language aimed at preventing the District from using funds to enact new laws related to marijuana legalization, but local leaders have adopted the stance that Initiative 71 was self-enacting when it passed.
Meanwhile, Acting Director of National Drug Control Policy Michael Botticelli has weighed in, saying that despite his own reservations about marijuana legalization, he doesn't believe the federal government should stop D.C. from implementing its new law. President Obama has also provided a nominal level of support by using language his his recent budget proposal that would potentially provide the District with more flexibility in the matter.
Update: The Monday D.C. Council hearing has reportedly been downgraded to a roundtable to avoid stirring up conflict with Congress.
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Marijuana Hearing Going Forward Without Nod From Congress | DC Inno
Author: Brian Warmoth
Contact: @BrianWarmoth
Photo Credit: LiveTradingNews
Website: DC Inno (formerly InTheCapital) | Washington DC Tech, City and Political News
