President Biden has released to Congress his proposed budget for fiscal year 2025, and it again includes a provision that blocks Washington DC from allowing licensed marijuana sales. The budget does, however, propose keeping a provision that protects state medical marijuana laws.
Washington DC legalized recreational marijuana in 2014. However, due to a provision passed by US Congress each year since then, licensed marijuana stores are unable to open in the district; although medical marijuana dispensaries are allowed.
Now, President Biden has released his Fiscal Year 2025 draft budget, and it again incudes a provision by Congressmember Andy Harris (R-MD) that prevents DC from allowing marijuana sales. Biden’s inclusion of the provision isn’t incredibly surprising, given he’s included it in each of his past budget requests. However, proponents of marijuana law reform were hopeful that Biden could finally propose removing the provision, especially fresh of becoming the first US President to promote marijuana reform during a State of the Union address.
Although he remains opposed to allowing DC marijuana sales, President Biden did once again include in his budget request a provision that prohibits the federal government from interfering with state-level medical marijuana laws. This includes preventing federal persecution of medical marijuana patients and state-legal medical marijuana businesses.
Currently the Biden Administration is pushing for a change in marijuana’s federal classification. Specifically, Biden’s Department of Health and Human Services has called on the DEA to move marijuana to Schedule III, legalizing it for prescription use nationwide.
