Senate Panel Approves Bill Blocking Trump Justice Dept From Going After Legal Medical Cannabis

The Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday approved a bill that would block the Trump Justice Department from going after users and providers of state-legal medical cannabis.

The House passed a similar measure in their version of the bill, which was also approved in committee.

“Once again, members of Congress have signaled that protecting state-legal medical cannabis is no longer a controversial issue,” said Aaron Smith, executive director of the National Cannabis Industry Association.

The Hill added:

An April poll from Quinnipiac University found 93 percent of voters support medical marijuana, and only 5 percent oppose it.

Similar provisions have been in effect since 2014, but Attorney General Jeff Sessions has been a fierce critic of efforts to legalize marijuana.

In January, he rolled back an Obama-era policy that had given states more freedom in determining recreational use.