Dec 09, 2009
Congress released the language of a long anticipated bill today that, among other things, will lift the ban on Washington, D.C.’s medical marijuana law. D.C. is now one big step closer to protecting patients from arrest and jail for using marijuana with a doctor’s recommendation.
Ten years ago, D.C. residents overwhelmingly passed a medical marijuana ballot initiative, but the law’s implementation was blocked by Congress. The bill released today -- a large omnibus spending bill -- lifts the ban on medical marijuana in the nation’s capitol.
The fix will likely be voted into law by the end of the week. This will kick off a lengthy process to enact the ballot initiative passed 10 years ago, a process that enjoys massive support among D.C. residents. By the summer of 2010, D.C. could join the 13 medical marijuana states in protecting medical marijuana patients from arrest.
Update: It's important to note the brave members of Congress who helped make this happen. Congressman Jose Serrano (D-N.Y.) worked for years to remove the medical marijuana ban, and he was able to take it out of the first version of the spending bill back in July. Congressman David Obey (D-Wisc.) has also been a valuable ally, helping to protect Serrano's work as the bill moved through the complicated legislative process. If you live in one of their districts, consider yourself well represented.