Gangrene at the ?niteh Staten
Washington, E01 213515

November 28, 2017
The Honorable Paul Ryan The Honorable Mitch McConnell
Speaker Majority Leader
US. House of Representatives US. Senate
1233 Longworth House Of?ce Building 317 Russell Senate Of?ce Building
Washington, DC. 20515 Washington, DC. 20510
The Honorable Nancy Pelosi The Honorable Charles Schumer
Democratic Leader Democratic Leader
US. House of Representatives US. Senate
233 Cannon House Of?ce building 322 Hart Senate Of?ce Building
Washington, DC. 20515 Washington, DC. 20510

Dear Speaker Ryan, Leader McConnell, Leader Pelosi, and Leader Schumer:

As you work with the Appropriations Committees to negotiate a ?scal year (FY) 2018
appropriations bill to fund the government beyond December 8, 2017, we write to express our
support for the inclusion of a provision that provides protections from the federal government to
states that have medical marijuana laws on the books.

The provision, which ?rst became law in December 2014, has successfully protected
patients, providers, and businesses against federal prosecution, so long as they act within the
con?nes of their state?s medical marijuana laws. These protections extend to 46 states, the
District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico, all of which allow some form of medical
marijuana that is strictly prohibited by the federal government?from CBD oils to the full plant.
The language is supported by a bipartisan majority of the House, last passing as a standalone
provision by a vote of 242-186 in 2015.

Speci?cally, we urge you to include in any ?nal negotiated package the language adopted
by the Senate Appropriations Committee in July by voice vote during their markup of the FY 18
appropriations bill:
None of the funds made available under this Act to the Department of Justice may be
used, with respect to any of the States of Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California,
Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa,
Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota,
Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico,
New York, North Carolina, North Dakota. Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, 
Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington,
West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming, or with respect to the District of Columbia,
Guam, or Puerto Rico, to prevent any such State or jurisdiction ?om implementing a law
that authorizes the use, distribution, possession, or cultivation of medical marijuana.

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