The Democratic Congresswoman for Washington, D.C., says that she will “continue fighting” against the efforts of her GOP colleagues who want to change the marijuana laws in the District. She also promises to push again to remove a rider from the spending bill which has prevented the commercialization of cannabis.
Eleanor Holmes Norton said, in her remarks at the National Cannabis Policy Summit, that “despite the growth of state-level legalization movements, the federal Government continues to block the progress made on legalizing marijuana both nationally and in D.C.”
It is time that the Federal government catches up with Americans and legalizes adult-use marijuana, she added.
Norton said that while both recent major party administrations have taken an largely hands off approach towards state cannabis laws in D.C., “the federal Government has a special role because of its constitutional authority.”
She said that Congress has used this authority repeatedly to interfere with D.C. marijuana policy, including medical and adult use.
Illegal adult-use marijuana should be legalized across the country.
Congress must keep the status quo until then. #HandsOffDC‘s cannabis policy, as I said today at the National Cannabis Policy Summit. pic.twitter.com/RJvT10out3
— Eleanor #DCStatehood Holmes Norton (@EleanorNorton) April 28, 2025
Norton failed to mention, however, that marijuana laws were threatened by Trump in a particularly direct manner. For example, a U.S. lawyer warned that a licensed dispensary could face federal prosecution due to the proximity of the facility to certain schools.
Ed Martin, Interim U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia said that closing down marijuana dispensaries is not at the top of his list of priorities. However, his “instinct” tells him that they shouldn’t exist in his community.
MEDCAN24 contacted Norton’s Office for a comment regarding the threat letter sent by the federal prosecutor to the local cannabis dispensary. A representative declined to make any comments on this specific case.
Norton’s focus at the cannabis summit was on the rider championed Rep. Andy Harris(R-MD) that prevents D.C. allowing sales of adult-use marijuana, even though voters approved the ballot measure to legalize the possession and cultivation in the home over a ten-year period.
As Congress prepares the fiscal year 2020 appropriation bill I will fight to remove the rider, She said. Referring to the recent White House statement that called the DC’s decision to reform local marijuana laws an example of “failed policy” that “opened up the door for disorder”.
“President Trump was opposed to D.C. legalizing adult-use cannabis during his first tenure” [and] She said that D.C. recently released an executive order. The executive order, among other things criticized D.C.’s legalization of marijuana. Congress controls D.C. local affairs until D.C. becomes a state.
Norton gave a preview of her plan to reintroduce a bill “that allows marijuana use in housing that is federally assisted or in other public housing that is in compliance with local marijuana laws and Department of Housing and Urban Development regulations on smoking tobacco.”
“I will introduce this bill again this Congress,” the lawmaker said, adding that she also intends to file legislation that “would give D.C. the authority to grant clemency for D.C/ crimes, including those relating to marijuana—just like states grant clemency for state crimes, for D.C. crimes.”
Norton stated, “If we keep fighting I think marijuana will become legal across the country and D.C. a state.”
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Meanwhile last week, an activist who received a pardon for a marijuana-related conviction during Trump’s first term paid a visit to the White House, discussing future clemency options with the recently appointed “pardon czar.”
Separately, a marijuana industry-backed political action committee (PAC) has released a series of ads over recent weeks that have attacked Biden’s cannabis policy record as well as the nation of Canada, promoting sometimes misleading claims about the last administration while making the case that Trump can deliver on reform.
Its latest ad accused former President Joe Biden and his Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) of waging a “deep state war” against medical cannabis patients—but without mentioning that the former president himself initiated the rescheduling process that marijuana companies want to see completed under Trump.
Adding uncertainty to that process, Trump’s pick to lead DEA, Terrance Cole, is on record repeatedly voicing concerns about the dangers of marijuana and linking its use to higher suicide risk among youth.
Cole told a Wednesday confirmation hearing that, if confirmed to the position, he will make it “one of his first priorities” to examine the federal proposal to reschedule cannabis. He said “it’s time to move on” with the stagnated process.
He repeatedly refused to endorse the proposal to change cannabis’s Schedule I classification to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act. This was initiated by the Biden administration.
The current acting administrator, Derek Maltz, has separately made a series of sensational claims about marijuana, calling it a gateway drug that sets children up to use other substances, suggesting marijuana use is linked to school shootings and alleging that the Justice Department “hijacked” the cannabis rescheduling process from DEA.
Last month, DEA notified an agency judge that the marijuana rescheduling process is still on hold—with no future actions currently scheduled as the matter sits before Maltz.
Meanwhile, a recent poll found that a majority of Republicans back a variety of cannabis reforms. They’re also more in favor of states being able to legalize cannabis without interference from the federal government than average voters.
A majority of both voters overall (70%) as well as GOP voters (67%) support the rescheduling of cannabis.
The survey was first noted by CNN in a report in March that quoted a White House spokesperson saying the administration currently has “no action” planned on marijuana reform proposals, including those like rescheduling and industry banking access that Trump endorsed on the campaign trail last year.
The White House has also said that marijuana rescheduling is not a part of Trump’s drug policy priorities for the first year of his second term—a disappointment for advocates and stakeholders who hoped to see him take speedier action.
Meanwhile, former marijuana prisoners who received clemency from Trump during his first term staged an event outside the White House earlier this month, expressing gratitude for the relief they were given and calling on the new administration to grant the same kind of help to others who are still behind bars for cannabis.
Pennsylvania Governor Will Include Marijuana Legalization Within His Budget But A Top GOP Senator Is Still Skeptical
Brian Shamblen is the photographer.
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