Nevada is moving forward with implementing recreational marijuana operations by July 1, while protections for operators at the federal level increase on the medical side. But not recreational.
In a new federal spending bill that funds the government through September, Congress continued its policy of blocking the U.S. Department of Justice from using any dollars to interfere with the implementation of state medical marijuana laws. There are 29 states and the District of Columbia that have laws of this nature.
Despite Congress’ action of renewing the Rohrabacher-Farr Amendment, first enacted in 2014, that protects states against federal intervention on medical marijuana operations, recreational marijuana operators are not protected.
This is something that Neil Demers, CEO of Diego Pellicer, a Colorado company that acquires and leases cultivation and processing facilities for medical and retail marijuana to licensed operators, said is important to the industry.
Demers said the “Rohrabacher-Farr Amendment is a step in the right direction, but U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, and the DOJ (U.S. Department of Justice) can still interfere with state’s rights and any states who have currently implemented or will be implementing their own laws that authorize the use, distribution, possession or cultivation of adult-use recreational marijuana.”
