House Committee Blocks Cannabis Amendments in Spending Bills

WASHINGTON D.C. – A powerful House committee has rejected multiple marijuana-related amendments to a series of spending bills, including proposals to ban certain federal agencies from testing job applicants for cannabis and prevent border patrol agents from seizing marijuana from state-licensed businesses.

Rejected Amendments to Appropriations Bills

The House Rules Committee declined to advance several cannabis amendments for floor consideration as part of the 2025 appropriations legislation. This legislation covers the Department of Defense (DOD), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs.

Testing Job Applicants for Cannabis

One of the amendments blocked by the committee, proposed by Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA), aimed to prevent covered federal agencies from testing job applicants for marijuana use in states where it is legal. Garcia has persistently pushed for this reform through various spending measures, but success remains elusive.

Nonviolent Cannabis Offenses in the Military

The committee also rejected an amendment to the DOD bill from Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC). This proposal sought to prohibit military branches from discharging service members solely based on past nonviolent cannabis offenses or convictions.

Seizure of Cannabis by Border Agents

Another blocked amendment, sponsored by Rep. Gabe Vasquez (D-NM), intended to stop the use of DHS funds for border agents to seize marijuana from state-licensed businesses. This proposal responded to recent incidents of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents seizing substantial amounts of cannabis from legal businesses in New Mexico.

Broader Legislative Context

Earlier this month, the same congressional panel blocked all proposed marijuana amendments—both pro-reform and anti-reform—from being considered as part of a large-scale defense bill. This action means that a measure included in the base bill to prevent military branches from testing recruits for cannabis remains intact, despite opposition from the White House.

Veterans and Medical Cannabis Access

The Rules Committee also blocked a National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) amendment to allow veterans access to state medical marijuana programs. This amendment would have eliminated a Veterans Affairs (VA) directive barring VA doctors from issuing cannabis recommendations.

Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) has been a champion of this reform through the Veterans Equal Access Act, which has advanced in committee and on the floor multiple times but has yet to be enacted into law.

Impact on Military Discharges

An additional rejected amendment from Mace would have allowed military service members to have their discharge status upgraded to general, rather than dishonorable, if they were penalized solely for nonviolent cannabis offenses.

Rescheduling and Protective Measures in Spending Bills

A House appropriations subcommittee recently unveiled another spending bill containing a provision to block marijuana rescheduling. This bill also amended a longstanding rider protecting medical cannabis states from federal interference by adding new language to authorize enhanced penalties for sales near schools and parks.

Separately, the House Appropriations Committee passed another spending bill that was amended to remove provisions safeguarding banks that work with state-licensed cannabis businesses. The committee also reattached a section blocking Washington, D.C. from legalizing marijuana sales, which had been omitted from the base bill.

Continued Advocacy and Challenges

Despite these setbacks, advocates continue to push for reform. Organizations track over 1,500 cannabis, psychedelics, and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress annually, providing crucial updates and advocacy for continued progress.