In one of the year's biggest marijuana-related developments, the House voted to prohibit the Drug Enforcement Administration from targeting legal medical marijuana operations.
Early this morning, House members voted 219-189 to stop the DEA from spending money to attack medical marijuana providers and users protected under state law. The Huffington Post adds that the amendment was launched by Rep. Dana Rohrabacher of California, and still faces obstacles, as it will have to withstand strict procedural scrutiny. Furthermore, the Senate will probably draft its own bill for the DEA.
According to Rohrabacher, passing the bill should've been "a no-brainer." "Some people are suffering, and if a doctor feels that he needs to prescribe something to alleviate that suffering, it is immoral for this government to get in the way," he said, according to the Huffington Post. "And that's what's happening."
The Huffington Post adds that medical marijuana dispensaries have faced the wrath of both the DEA and the Obama administration, with the agency still considering marijuana a Schedule I substance, meaning it has high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use. Still, 22 states and the District of Columbia have opted for legalization for medical reasons, while another five have approved the use of CBD oils for potential epilepsy treatment.
Though the amendment still has to step over red tape before taking effect, this is a victory for medical marijuana users and providers.
[via The Huffington Post]
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