On Tuesday and Wednesday, the House began taking votes related to the appropriations bill for the Department of Commerce, the Department of Justice, and other agencies.
During the amendment voting yesterday, the House voted on a series of amendments related to reforming laws around the cannabis plant, whether hemp or marijuana. Four of them passed, and one narrowly failed, but even the narrow failure provides hope for future momentum.
Hemp
Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01) offered an amendment to prohibit the use of funds to prevent a State from implementing its own State laws that authorize the use, distribution, possession, or cultivation of industrial hemp.
The amendment passed 282 to 146.
181 Democrats and 101 Republicans voted for it. 142 Republicans and 4 Democrats voted against it.
Here are those 4 Democrats:
Joyce Beatty (OH-03)
Henry Cuellar (TX-28)
Ruben Hinojosa (TX-15)
Raul Ruiz (CA-36)
Tom Massie (KY-04) offered an amendment to prohibit the use of funds to be used in contravention of section 7606 ("Legitimacy of Industrial Hemp Research") of the Agricultural Act of 2014 by the Department of Justice or the Drug Enforcement Administration.
It passed 289 to 132.
172 Democrats and 117 Republicans voted for it. 122 Republicans and 10 Democrats voted against it.
Cheri Bustos (IL-17)
David Loebsack (IA-02)
Stephen Lynch (MA-08)
Betty McCollum (MN-04)
Nancy Pelosi (CA-12)
Scott Peters (CA-52)
Raul Ruiz (CA-36)
Bobby Rush (IL-01)
Linda Sanchez (CA-38)
Terri Sewell (AL-07)
Medical Marijuana
Dana Rohrabacher (CA-48) offered an amendment to prohibit the use of funds by various states to prevent any of them from implementing their own laws that authorize the use, distribution, possessions, or cultivation of medical marijuana.
It passed 242 to 186.
175 Democrats and 67 Republicans voted for it. 176 Republicans and 10 Democrats voted against it.
Here are the 10 Democrats:
Karen Bass (CA-33)
Corrine Brown (FL-05)
Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05)
Henry Cuellar (TX-28)
Bill Keating (MA-09)
Joe Kennedy (MA-05)
Sandy Levin (MI-09)
Dan Lipinski (IL-03)
Terri Sewell (AL-07)
Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23)
Marijuana Legalization
Tom McClintock (CA-04) offered an amendment to prohibit the use of funds by various states to prevent any of them from implementing their own laws that authorize the use, distribution, possessions, or cultivation of marijuana on non-Federal lands within their respective jurisdictions.
It failed narrowly 206 to 222.
161 Democrats and 45 Republicans voted for it. 198 Republicans and 24 Democrats voted against it.
Here are those 24 Democrats:
Brad Ashford (NE-02)
Karen Bass (CA-33)
Joyce Beatty (OH-03)
Yvette Clarke (NY-11)
Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05)
Jim Cooper (TN-05)
Henry Cuellar (TX-28)
Debbie Dingell (MI-12)
Gwen Graham (NE-02)
Gene Green (TX-29)
Ruben Hinojosa (TX-15)
Bill Keating (MA-09)
Joe Kennedy (MA-05)
Sandy Levin (MI-09)
Dan Lipinski (IL-03)
Stephen Lynch (MA-08)
Collin Peterson (MN-07)
Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-40)
Terri Sewell (AL-07)
Louise Slaughter (NY-25)
Paul Tonko (NY-20)
Marc Veasey (TX-33)
Filemon Vela (TX-34)
Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23)
Cannabidiol Oil
Scott Perry (PA-04) offered an amendment to prohibit the use of funds to take any action to prevent a State from implementing any law that makes it lawful to possess, distribute, or use cannabidiol oil.
It passed 297 to 130.
179 Democrats and 118 Republicans voted for it. 125 Republicans and 5 Democrats voted against it.
Here are those 5 Democrats:
Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05)
Bill Keating (MA-09)
Joe Kennedy (MA-04)
Stephen Lynch (MA-08)
Bobby Rush (IL-01)