Last November, voters in Washington, DC overwhelmingly approved a referendum that would have legalized marijuana in the city. Now that measure has been stymied by House Republicans–led by Rep. Andy Harris (R‑MD).
From today’s Washington Post: The move “shocked elected DC leaders, advocates for marijuana legalization and civil liberties groups.”
As a constitutional matter, the Congress can set policies for the District of Columbia, but this is an awful move. No vote on marijuana reform, just override the voter-approved measure by inserting language into a gigantic spending bill.
Isn’t it interesting that such tactics never seem to be used to downsize the federal government and reduce its powers? Why not zero out the budget for the DEA or the Export-Import Bank?
