Democratic Congresswoman Blasts Efforts To Restrict D.C. Marijuana Laws, Vowing To ‘Continue To Fight’ For Reform

A Democratic congresswoman representing Washington, D.C. says she intends to “continue to fight” against efforts by her GOP colleagues to interfere with the District’s marijuana laws, vowing to again push for the removal of a spending bill rider that’s long prevented a commercial cannabis market.

Speaking at the National Cannabis Policy Summit on Monday, Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) said that despite the growing state-level legalization movement, “the federal government continues to block progress on marijuana legalization in D.C. and nationally.”

“It is past time for the federal government to catch up with the American people and legalize adult-use marijuana,” she said.

But while recent administrations from both major parties have taken a largely hands-off approach to state cannabis laws, Norton noted that “the federal government has a unique role in marijuana policy in D.C. because it holds plenary authority under the Constitution.

That means “Congress can legislate on any D.C. matter at any time,” and “Congress has consistently used that authority to interfere in D.C. marijuana policies, both medical and adult-use,” she said.

It’s past time for the federal government to catch up with the American people and legalize adult-use marijuana nationally.

Until then, Congress should keep its #HandsOffDC‘s cannabis policy, as I said today at the National Cannabis Policy Summit. pic.twitter.com/RJvT10out3

— Eleanor #DCStatehood Holmes Norton (@EleanorNorton) April 28, 2025

What Norton didn’t mention in her speech is the fact that the District’s marijuana laws have recently been threatened in an especially direct way under the Trump administration, with a U.S. attorney warning a licensed cannabis dispensary that it may be subject to federal prosecution, in part due to its proximity to certain schools.

Interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Ed Martin said in an interview that shutting down licensed marijuana dispensaries doesn’t “rise to the top” of his priorities, but his “instinct is that it shouldn’t be in the community.”

Marijuana Moment reached out to Norton’s office for comment on the federal prosecutor’s threat letter to the locally approved cannabis dispensary, but a representative said she was declining to comment on that specific situation.

At the cannabis summit, however, Norton focused on the appropriations rider, championed by Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD), that’s blocked D.C. from allowing adult-use marijuana sales, despite voter approval of a ballot measure to legalize possession and home cultivation over a decade ago.

“As Congress works on the fiscal year 2026 appropriation bill, I will continue to fight to remove this rider,” she said, while referencing a recent statement from the White House that called the District’s move to enact local marijuana reform an example of a “failed” policy that “opened the door to disorder.”

“President Trump has opposed D.C. legalizing the sale of adult-use marijuana during his first term [and] recently issued an executive order regarding D.C.,” she said. “Among other things, the executive order criticized D.C. for legalizing marijuana. Until D.C. is a state, Congress will control D.C.’s local matters.”

Norton also previewed her plans to reintroduce legislation “that would allow marijuana in public or other federal-assisted housing in compliance with marijuana laws where the property is located, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s rules on on smoking cigarettes.”

“I will introduce this bill again this Congress,” the lawmaker said, adding that she also intends to file legislation that “would give D.C. the authority to grant clemency for D.C/ crimes, including those relating to marijuana—just like states grant clemency for state crimes, for D.C. crimes.”

“If we continue to fight, I believe marijuana will be legalized nationally and D.C. will be a state,” Norton said.

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Meanwhile last week, an activist who received a pardon for a marijuana-related conviction during Trump’s first term paid a visit to the White House, discussing future clemency options with the recently appointed “pardon czar.”

Separately, a marijuana industry-backed political action committee (PAC) has released a series of ads over recent weeks that have attacked Biden’s cannabis policy record as well as the nation of Canada, promoting sometimes misleading claims about the last administration while making the case that Trump can deliver on reform.

Its latest ad accused former President Joe Biden and his Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) of waging a “deep state war” against medical cannabis patients—but without mentioning that the former president himself initiated the rescheduling process that marijuana companies want to see completed under Trump.

Adding uncertainty to that process, Trump’s pick to lead DEA, Terrance Cole, is on record repeatedly voicing concerns about the dangers of marijuana and linking its use to higher suicide risk among youth.

Cole said during a confirmation hearing on Wednesday that examining the proposal to federally reschedule marijuana will be “one of my first priorities” if he’s confirmed for the role, saying it’s “time to move forward” on the stalled process.

However, he repeatedly declined to commit to support the specific proposed rule to move cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) that was initiated under the Biden administration.

The current acting administrator, Derek Maltz, has separately made a series of sensational claims about marijuana, calling it a gateway drug that sets children up to use other substances, suggesting marijuana use is linked to school shootings and alleging that the Justice Department “hijacked” the cannabis rescheduling process from DEA.

Last month, DEA notified an agency judge that the marijuana rescheduling process is still on hold—with no future actions currently scheduled as the matter sits before Maltz.

Meanwhile, a recent poll found that a majority of Republicans back a variety of cannabis reforms. And notably, they’re even more supportive of allowing states to legalize marijuana without federal interference compared to the average voter.

The survey showed that majorities of overall voters (70 percent) and GOP voters (67 percent) back rescheduling cannabis.

The survey was first noted by CNN in a report in March that quoted a White House spokesperson saying the administration currently has “no action” planned on marijuana reform proposals, including those like rescheduling and industry banking access that Trump endorsed on the campaign trail last year.

The White House has also said that marijuana rescheduling is not a part of Trump’s drug policy priorities for the first year of his second term—a disappointment for advocates and stakeholders who hoped to see him take speedier action.

Meanwhile, former marijuana prisoners who received clemency from Trump during his first term staged an event outside the White House earlier this month, expressing gratitude for the relief they were given and calling on the new administration to grant the same kind of help to others who are still behind bars for cannabis.

Pennsylvania Governor Will Put Marijuana Legalization In His Budget, But Top GOP Senator Remains Skeptical

Photo courtesy of Brian Shamblen.

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