The US House Rules Committee voted Monday, July 26 to approve four amendments to the appropriations spending bill for 2022. This bill distributes funds to the: Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, Agriculture, Rural Development, Energy and Water Development, Financial Services and General Government, Interior, Environment, Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development. 

With so many departments receiving various funding, it’s important for different committees to examine each filed amendment to make sure it fits the spending bill appropriately. Only four amendments became approved, leaving six to die and wait for another year to be submitted again.

Approved Amendments

The first amendment approved came from Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., which would lift several research restrictions surrounding Schedule I drugs, like cannabis and psilocybin mushrooms, along with other psychedelics. Representative Ocasio-Cortez originally introduced this amendment in 2019, but didn’t receive support. 

The next amendment approved would require the FDA to make the rules for CBD “out of concern that the FDA has not initiated rulemaking to establish a regulatory pathway for CBD as a dietary supplement and food ingredient.” This amendment, proposed by Kurt Schrader, D-Ore., would move the FDA along. The FDA has not moved forward with CBD classification and regulation despite CBD becoming federally legal under the 2018 Farm Bill. 

The third amendment comes from California Representative Doug LaMalfa, R. Representative LaMalfa requests $25 million in funds transfer from the Environmental Programs and Management enforcement activities account to the National Forest Systems account. This would help enforcement remove illegal cannabis operations from growing on federal lands and offer any clean up assistance necessary. Representative LaMalfa has always been opposed to cannabis reform. Most recently, his office released video of him, along with police, using bulldozers to destroy illegal cannabis operations in California. 

Finally, the fourth amendment comes from Representative Debbie Lesko, R-Ariz. She wants to strike language from the bill allowing federal funding to go to higher education institutions conducting cannabis research. This amendment came as a shock to many lawmakers as cannabis research is a bipartisan topic that both sides want to explore to either prove the benefits of cannabis use, or refute them. 

Removed Amendments

Furthermore, six other amendments didn’t make the cut for the spending bill. Those include two amendments from Washington DC Representative Eleanor Holmes Norton, D. In the event citizens on federal housing assistance use cannabis, her amendment argues their assistance shouldn’t be removed. Additionally, there would need to be other factors. Both proposed amendments became blocked and never received a discussion in the House Rules Committee. 

“Individuals should not be denied admission to or fear eviction from federally assisted housing simply for treating their medical conditions or using a substance legal under state law,” Representative Norton explained. “Increasingly, Americans are changing their views on marijuana. Congress needs to catch up.”

Similarly, other amendments not accepted include:

• Prohibiting federal funds for funding needle distribution programs for illegal drugs. – Representative Doug LaMalfa
• Refusing funds for purchasing clean syringes for illegal drug use. — Representative Ted Butt, R-N.C.
• Prohibiting federal funds from purchasing clean syringes for illegal drug use in DC. — Representative Ted Butt, R-N.C.
• Increasing funds by $50 million for the Office of National Drug Control Policy’s High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Program. Additionally decrease in funding of $50 million for the Electric Vehicles Fund. — Representative French Hill, R-Ark.

Future

A full House vote on the amended spending bill will take place later this week. As more information becomes available, we will update you with the latest. 

Make sure to check back for more cannabis and hemp related news.