$MJ This is a big week for marijuana policy in Congress, and you are key to our majority’s success.
The Senate Appropriations Committee -- where at least one of FL's U.S. senators is a member -- will take up the Justice Department’s annual funding bill on Thursday morning.
As you probably know, that bill has contained riders for the past several years stopping the feds from spending money to interfere with state medical cannabis laws.
Please take one minute right now to send a letter urging your senator to support continuing these protections for medical marijuana patients and providers.
These riders were approved by strong bipartisan majorities of this committee and the full House, and they were signed into law as part of the final enacted spending bills for Fiscal Years 2015 and 2016. President Trump just signed 2017's bill, which continues the protection.
But as the federal funding process for 2018 heats up, medical marijuana patients are in jeopardy.
Our movement is facing a notorious opponent at the head of the Department of Justice -- Attorney General Jeff Sessions -- who explicitly asked Congress to delete the medical cannabis rider. And, a DOJ task force is currently in the process of providing recommendations that many are worried will result in a crackdown on the legal marijuana industry.
Unless the medical cannabis protection is included in the new legislation, seriously ill people who rely on medical marijuana will no longer be able to follow to their doctors' advice without worrying whether the DEA is going to send them or their suppliers to prison. And unless a broader rider covering more far-reaching marijuana laws is also included, federal intervention in states could cause tens of thousands of people to lose their jobs and make hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue disappear.
In short, we need all the help we can get. Specifically, we need your help. Since at least one of your senators is on the Appropriations Committee, you are in a unique position to help influence the process.
Please take action right away by sending our pre-written letter to your senator (or customize your own letter using our action tool).
Despite the challenging national political environment, there is reason for hope. The Senate Appropriations Committee has overwhelmingly approved medical cannabis amendments in the past. The amendments have even won a majority of both Democratic and Republican senators on the committee, so we have bipartisan momentum on our side.
But we can't take a win for granted.
I know we send alerts about a lot of topics, and it can be hard to tell which action items are the most important.
Please, take my word: If you only send one email to Congress all year, make it this one. It’s that critical.
Take Action:
Tell Your Senator to Respect State Marijuana Laws
Thanks for doing your part and making your voice heard,
Aaron R. Houston
Board Member
Marijuana Majority
The Senate Appropriations Committee -- where at least one of FL's U.S. senators is a member -- will take up the Justice Department’s annual funding bill on Thursday morning.
As you probably know, that bill has contained riders for the past several years stopping the feds from spending money to interfere with state medical cannabis laws.
Please take one minute right now to send a letter urging your senator to support continuing these protections for medical marijuana patients and providers.
These riders were approved by strong bipartisan majorities of this committee and the full House, and they were signed into law as part of the final enacted spending bills for Fiscal Years 2015 and 2016. President Trump just signed 2017's bill, which continues the protection.
But as the federal funding process for 2018 heats up, medical marijuana patients are in jeopardy.
Our movement is facing a notorious opponent at the head of the Department of Justice -- Attorney General Jeff Sessions -- who explicitly asked Congress to delete the medical cannabis rider. And, a DOJ task force is currently in the process of providing recommendations that many are worried will result in a crackdown on the legal marijuana industry.
Unless the medical cannabis protection is included in the new legislation, seriously ill people who rely on medical marijuana will no longer be able to follow to their doctors' advice without worrying whether the DEA is going to send them or their suppliers to prison. And unless a broader rider covering more far-reaching marijuana laws is also included, federal intervention in states could cause tens of thousands of people to lose their jobs and make hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue disappear.
In short, we need all the help we can get. Specifically, we need your help. Since at least one of your senators is on the Appropriations Committee, you are in a unique position to help influence the process.
Please take action right away by sending our pre-written letter to your senator (or customize your own letter using our action tool).
Despite the challenging national political environment, there is reason for hope. The Senate Appropriations Committee has overwhelmingly approved medical cannabis amendments in the past. The amendments have even won a majority of both Democratic and Republican senators on the committee, so we have bipartisan momentum on our side.
But we can't take a win for granted.
I know we send alerts about a lot of topics, and it can be hard to tell which action items are the most important.
Please, take my word: If you only send one email to Congress all year, make it this one. It’s that critical.
Take Action:
Tell Your Senator to Respect State Marijuana Laws
Thanks for doing your part and making your voice heard,
Aaron R. Houston
Board Member
Marijuana Majority
$MJ
