Last week, President Trump issued a statement following his signing of the appropriations bill that sought to clarify a number of issues he took with the legislation. Amongst the issues Trump took was the Rohrabacher–Blumenauer amendment, which restricts the Department of Justice from using funds to enforce federal marijuana laws in states that have approved medical marijuana.
In response to the amendment, the administration stated:
“Division B, section 537 provides that the Department of Justice may not use any funds to prevent implementation of medical marijuana laws by various States and territories. I will treat this provision consistently with my constitutional responsibility to take care that the laws be faithfully executed.”
As Reason points out, “Trump is not only trying to usurp the congressional power to decide how taxpayers' money will be spent; he is threatening to interfere with the autonomy that states are supposed to have under the 10th Amendment. He is also contradicting his own position both before and after his election. At the Conservative Political Action Conference in March 2015, Trump said he was leery of legalizing marijuana for recreational use, but "medical marijuana is another thing."
Read Reason’s full take on the statement here.
