Dear Pot Lawyer,
Congress is in favor of protecting state cannabis programs, right? So why don’t they?
Yes, most representatives in Congress—both Democrats and Republicans—support the protection of state-legal cannabis for medical and adult use. In that sense, they are like most Americans. The main reason that state cannabis programs don’t get solid protection, however, is because Congress is not allowed to vote on proposed amendments related to cannabis. Keep in mind that it’s Congress’ job to vote on these amendments. If you are confused by that, you should be. It’s the craziest thing.
Before the House of Representatives votes on nearly any measure, it must pass through the House Rules Committee. That committee is chaired by Congressman Pete Sessions (R-TX). Pete Sessions is not related to Jeff Sessions, but he shares our Attorney General’s retrograde views on weed. For this reason, Sessions’ panel has consistently blocked all cannabis proposals from advancing to the floor for a vote. This includes a good number of bipartisan proposals over the past few years.