The Trump administration’s ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’, the federal government’s annual spending and tax omnibus legislation, has quietly dropped a key piece of legislation putting the country’s entire medical cannabis industry under threat.
While attention has been squarely focused on the public spat between the President and the former de facto head of the ‘so called’ Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Elon Musk, which initially centered on the bill, little attention has been paid to the potentially devastating impact on the country’s medical cannabis industry.
Deb Tharp, cannabis activist and consultant in political and cannabis businesses, explains MEDCAN24: “Congress dropped the Rohrabacher-Blumenauer Amendment (formerly Rohrabacher-Farr) from the latest appropriations bill… To be clear, it’s now extremely obvious that the state legacy markets are in dire jeopardy.”
What is the Rohrabacher-Blumenauer Amendment?
The Rohrabacher-Blumenauer Amendment is a key provision in US law that protects state medical cannabis programs from federal interference. In 2014, during the budgetary process of the US federal government, this amendment was passed. This prevents the Department of Justice from using federal funds in order to interfere with state medical cannabis programs.
Although cannabis is still illegal in federal law, as it’s a Schedule I substance, the rider protects those who comply with their state-run programs, including patients, caregivers, businesses, from being prosecuted by federal authorities. This protection has been largely upheld by the courts, although they differ on whether strict compliance or substantial conformity with state laws is necessary.
The amendment only applies to cannabis used for medical purposes, not recreational use, and must be renewed every year.
If Congress were to remove the Rohrabacher-Blumenauer Amendment, it would dramatically destabilise the medical cannabis industry. The DOJ will regain its full prosecutorial authority without this protection. This includes businesses and individuals who comply fully with state laws.
It could lead to the closure of many legal businesses or to their operation in secret.
Losing the amendment would also threaten patient access to medicinal cannabis. It could disrupt an industry which supports almost half a milllion jobs and bring back federal-state conflict in an area of public opinion that is overwhelmingly supportive of state legalization and regulation.
As per Prohibition Partners North America (US and Canada’s) medical marijuana market represents more than 70% of global sales and is expected to reach nearly $13 billion by 2026.
‘The final battleground for legal legacy cannabis’
The Writing of the Inscription MEDCAN24 Tharp outlined the efforts already underway to eliminate these protections in November of last year.
Amendments added to last year’s Commerce-Justice-Science appropriations bill aimed to undercut Rohrabacher-Blumenauer protections. The bill’s Section 623 blocked federal funding to de-schedule marijuana or reschedule it, which made it difficult to implement broader reforms.
One more carve-out allows DOJ to enforce federal marijuana laws up to 1,000 feet from schools, parks, housing authority buildings, and sensitive sites. The DOJ could now pursue federal charges against many medical cannabis companies operating in states that have legalized the drug, especially those who operate under local rules with less restrictions.
This carve-out, Tharp explained, ‘was bad enough because those buffer zones cover most populated areas’.
But this year they removed all protections completely. There is no rider or caveat this year, only full DOJ power.
“Leaving Rohrabacher-Blumenauer out isn’t an oversight, it’s political chess. If public pressure is enough to force them back into the original amendment, it’s likely they will add the same riders they added last year. This would say that the DOJ could still enforce federal laws against any activities within the buffer zone defined in 21 U.S.C. § 860. Their strategy is distracting us from the issue, making us fight against getting back our amendment, and quietly pushing forward this carving-out.
The majority of dispensaries would be vulnerable even if this amendment was restored. § 860 zones are so broad they cover nearly all populated areas. “In practice, DOJ could still enforce its laws over most industries.”
The Trump administration’s ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’, the federal government’s annual spending and tax omnibus legislation, has quietly dropped a key piece of legislation putting the country’s entire medical cannabis industry under threat.
While attention has been squarely focused on the public spat between the President and the former de facto head of the ‘so called’ Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Elon Musk, which initially centered on the bill, little attention has been paid to the potentially devastating impact on the country’s medical cannabis industry.
Deb Tharp is a cannabis activist, political consultant and business advisor. MEDCAN24: “Congress dropped the Rohrabacher-Blumenauer Amendment (formerly Rohrabacher-Farr) from the latest appropriations bill… To be clear, it’s now extremely obvious that the state legacy markets are in dire jeopardy.”
What is the Rohrabacher-Blumenauer Amendment?
The Rohrabacher-Blumenauer Amendment is a key provision in US law that protects state medical cannabis programs from federal interference. In 2014, during the federal budget process the Rohrabacher-Blumenauer Amendment was passed. This amendment prevents federal funds from being used to interfere with state medical cannabis programs.
Although cannabis is still illegal in federal law, as it’s a Schedule I substance, the rider protects those who comply with their state-run programs, including patients, caregivers, businesses, from being prosecuted by federal authorities. This protection has been largely upheld by the courts, although they differ on whether strict compliance or substantial conformity with state laws is necessary.
The amendment only applies to cannabis used for medical purposes, not recreational use, and must be renewed every year.
If Congress were to remove the Rohrabacher-Blumenauer Amendment, it would dramatically destabilise the medical cannabis industry. The DOJ will regain its full prosecutorial authority without this protection. This includes businesses and individuals who comply fully with state laws.
It could lead to the closure of many legal businesses or to their operation in secret.
A loss of this amendment may also affect patient access, cause disruption in an industry supporting nearly 500,000 jobs, or reignite conflicts between the federal government and states, where there is overwhelming public support for legalisation at state level.
As per Prohibition Partners The North American medical cannabis market (US and Canada) currently accounts for over 70 percent of the global market and will be worth almost 13 billion dollars by 2026.
‘The final battleground for legal legacy cannabis’
The Writing of the Inscription MEDCAN24 Tharp outlined the efforts already underway to eliminate these protections in November of last year.
Amendments added to last year’s Commerce-Justice-Science appropriations bill aimed to undercut Rohrabacher-Blumenauer protections. In Section 623, the federal government was prevented from funding efforts to reschedule and de-schedule marijuana.
One more carve-out allows DOJ to enforce federal marijuana laws up to 1,000 feet from schools, parks, housing authority buildings, and sensitive sites. The DOJ could now pursue federal charges against many medical cannabis companies operating in states that have legalized the drug, especially those who operate under local rules with less restrictions.
This carve-out, Tharp explained, ‘was bad enough because those buffer zones cover most populated areas’.
This year, they have removed every protection. There is no rider or caveat this year, only full DOJ power.
“Leaving Rohrabacher-Blumenauer out isn’t an oversight, it’s political chess. If public pressure is enough to force them back into the original amendment, it’s likely they will add the same riders they added last year. This would say that the DOJ could still enforce federal laws against any activities within the buffer zone defined in 21 U.S.C. § 860. Their strategy is distracting us from the issue, making us fight against getting back our amendment, and quietly pushing forward this carve out.
Even if 21 U.S.C. § 860 zones are so broad they cover nearly all populated areas. “In practice, DOJ could still enforce its laws over most industries.”
Cannabis Law Resources for Poland
Discover essential legal information about the cultivation of cannabis, its sale, and regulations governing medical products in Poland. These guides will help you understand the legal requirements, such as certifications and permissions.
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Polish News Registration and Interests of Cannabis Businesses
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Permissions for Cannabis Sales in Poland
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Authorization for Importing or Manufacturing Medical Products
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Permission for Manufacturing or Importing Medical Products
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Certificate of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)
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Registration of Medical Products in Poland