Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-CA will be known by all in the cannabis sector as one of the two Senators who inserted their amendment, known as Rohrabacher-Blumenauer, into Congress’s spending bills.
Here’s his press release in full
Apr 16, 2018 Press Release
WASHINGTON – Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-CA, Saturday applauded President Trump’s commitment, made in a telephone conversation with Colorado Sen. Cory Gardner, to restrain the federal government from enforcing marijuana laws in states that have legalized the substance. Gardner, whose state, like California, has legalized both medical and adult use of marijuana, agreed to stop blocking the president’s Justice Department nominations in return.
The president’s signal to the Colorado Republican upends Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ determination to enforce federal anti-marijuana laws despite the congressman’s successful efforts in recent years to prevent Justice Department funds from being spent on such enforcement. With Oregon Democrat Earl Blumenauer, Rohrabacher has regularly inserted his amendment, known as Rohrabacher-Blumenauer, into Congress’s spending bills.
Rohrabacher is readying stand-alone legislation – called the Cannabis States’ Rights Act – to make the restraint on federal enforcement permanent. Said Rohrabacher:
“I am extremely happy that President Trump has made perfectly clear that he meant his campaign promise to respect state laws with regard to marijuana. Now there should be no question in Attorney General Sessions’ mind about the president’s intention. This is a fundamental issue of federalism and freedom, as state after state moves to take marijuana out of the hands of the cartels and place it in a competitive market where consumers can be assured of product safety. It also encourages more exploration of medical uses for cannabis, which has shown unquestionable promise in the treatment of multiple ailments and disorders.
“I look forward to working with President Trump and Senator Gardner to move my legislation through Congress. The authors of our great Constitution most assuredly would approve.”
Wikipedia – Rohrabacher–Farr amendment
The Rohrabacher–Farr amendment (also known as the Rohrabacher–Blumenauer amendment) is legislation first introduced by U.S. Rep. Maurice Hinchey in 2001, prohibiting the Justice Department from spending funds to interfere with the implementation of state medical cannabis laws. It passed the House in May 2014 after six previously failed attempts, becoming law in December 2014 as part of an omnibus spending bill. The passage of the amendment was the first time either chamber of Congress had voted to protect medical cannabis patients, and is viewed as a historic victory for cannabis reform advocates at the federal level.[1] The amendment does not change the legal status of cannabis however, and must be renewed each fiscal year in order to remain in effect.[2]
