In a move that could lower Donald J. Trump’s popularity even further with cannabis supporters, the president signed his first piece of major legislation last Friday — a $1 trillion spending bill that prevented a federal government shutdown — but with his signature he also included the reservation that he may ignore medical cannabis protections found in the bill.
“I will treat this provision consistently with my constitutional responsibility to take care that the laws be faithfully executed,” President Trump wrote in his signing statement, according to a Summit Daily report.
While previous presidents have made similar statements when signing omnibus spending bills, White House officials have for months leading up to the bill’s passage signaled a potential for cannabis crackdowns in the future.
The protections in question stem of course from the Rohrabacher-Farr amendment, which was originally established in 2014 and has been annually renewed since then. The amendment blocks the Department of Justice from using any funds to prevent the implementation of medical marijuana laws in U.S. states and territories, granting a limited sense of ease for patients and entrepreneurs who are otherwise operating in a federally illegal marketplace. The amendment, however, does not prevent DOJ intereference in states with legalized adult-use markets.
Other provisions in the 2017 spending bill included funding increases for NASA, the military, and border security (but not for the Mexican border wall that President Trump has promised to build).
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