The U.S. House Votes to Weaken the DEA and Support Medical Pot

"A series of votes on the Justice Department appropriations bill attempt to rein in the rogue agency."

This is good news for several reasons; this puts a dent in DEA's power to collect bulk data, virtually ending the program altogether and reallocating some 23 million dollars in funds to most cost - effective programs that include:

Source

Last night, members voted to slash $23 million from the DEA's budget and reallocate the money for most cost-effective programs. One amendment, from Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) shifted $9 million from the agency's marijuana eradication program to youth programs; another, from Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) cut $4 million from the DEA budget for rape test kits; while the third, from Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX) shifted $9 million from the DEA to a program to try to reduce police abuse by procuring body cameras for police officers.

Included among amendments passed with bipartisan support on both sides, "three amendments were passed aimed at blocking the DEA and the DOJ from interfering with industrial hemp, CBD cannabis oil, and medical marijuana in states where they are legal."

(Same source)

Washington is chipping away at pot prohibition. In a series of votes on Tuesday, the U.S. House ended the DEA's controversial bulk data collection program and also passed three amendments cutting funding from the DEA and shifting it to other federal law enforcement priorities.

This is a good step forward in ending the war on drugs; in the absence of these spending cuts, agents and prosecutors were funded to criminalize pot growers, dealers and useres; these funds will no longer be available.

Source

The Obama administration generally tolerates state-level regulation of marijuana for medical or recreational use, but government agents and prosecutors – in the absence of spending prohibitions – retain the right to shut down regulated state markets and prosecute pot growers, sellers and users.

Finally, a thumbs up to Congress!!!

a reply to: Daedal

Where I live in Seattle...it is ALL legal regarding Pot. I know a couple of people that have cancer and if it were not for Pot...they would not have an appetite.

a reply to: Daedal

Good news, every little bit helps.

"There’s unprecedented support on both sides of the aisle for ending the federal war on marijuana and letting states set their own drug policies based on science, compassion, health, and human rights," said DPA's Piper.

Perhaps state's rights is beginning to enjoy recognition across the board, what I believe is the most important aspect of this story.

a reply to: Daedal

This IS good news.

Steve Cohen (D-TN) cut $4 million from the DEA budget for rape test kits;

Not sure the reasoning behind this ^^^ though.....