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Senate Committee Bucks Sessions, Passes Renewal of Block on Federal Cannabis Enforcement

The passage included 16 Republicans, showing this as a bipartisan issue in the Congress.
David N. Feldman is a partner at Duane Morris LLP, where he concentrates his practice on corporate and securities law and mergers and acquisitions, as well as general representation of public and private companies, entrepreneurs, investors, and private equity and venture capital firms. Mr. Feldman also advises small businesses with regard to alternatives to traditional financing through initial public offerings. His popular blog at www.DavidFeldmanBlog.com, focusing on entrepreneurship and the regulatory environment, has been recognized by LexisNexis as a Top 25 corporate law blog, and his videos appear on his YouTube channel, The Entrepreneur’s Advocate. Mr. Feldman is a 1985 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where he was managing editor of the student newspaper, the Penn Law Forum, and a graduate of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He has served as chair of the board of Wharton’s global alumni association.
David N. Feldman is a partner at Duane Morris LLP, where he concentrates his practice on corporate and securities law and mergers and acquisitions, as well as general representation of public and private companies, entrepreneurs, investors, and private equity and venture capital firms. Mr. Feldman also advises small businesses with regard to alternatives to traditional financing through initial public offerings. His popular blog at www.DavidFeldmanBlog.com, focusing on entrepreneurship and the regulatory environment, has been recognized by LexisNexis as a Top 25 corporate law blog, and his videos appear on his YouTube channel, The Entrepreneur’s Advocate. Mr. Feldman is a 1985 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where he was managing editor of the student newspaper, the Penn Law Forum, and a graduate of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He has served as chair of the board of Wharton’s global alumni association.

Last week the US Senate Appropriations Committee voted to renew the Rohrabacher-Blumenauer amendment when it expires September 30. That amendment, renewed annually since 2014, blocks the US Department of Justice from using federal funds to interfere with the implementation of state medical cannabis laws. The passage included 16 Republicans, showing this as a bipartisan issue in the Congress.

This early vote is important because US Attorney General Jeff Sessions has asked the Congress not to renew the amendment. Sessions also commissioned a task force on drugs and violent crime whose final report is expected soon. He says in the meantime he has been “on a rolling basis” implementing some of the as yet unrevealed recommendations. Many believe the task force will link cannabis to violent crime and push for stronger sentences for people who grow or sell marijuana.

It appears, however, that there remains strong bipartisan support in Congress to retain the restriction on federal spending for now, and that the amendment will be renewed as part of the final Congressional appropriations in September. Stay tuned.

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