GOP Might Kill Legal Pot In DC

Via the Washington Post:

Tucked in the massive spending bill needed to prevent a federal government shutdown may be a measure sought by conservative House Republicans to halt marijuana legalization in the nation’s capital, advocates for the measure say. Seven in 10 D.C. voters backed an initiative last month to follow Colorado and Washington state in legalizing marijuana. But three people who have been closely tracking the issue say budget negotiators in the Democratic-controlled Senate have agreed to curb the popular measure. Congress has the power to do so by restricting city spending. Congressional Republicans have previously used the technique, known as a spending “rider,” to prevent the heavily Democratic city from spending money on abortion coverage for the poor. For 11 years, one was used to prevent D.C. from implementing a voter-backed measure to allow medical marijuana.

Even though right wing Republicans are behind the rider, marijuana activists say they will blame Democrats, who still have a month of control left in the Senate.