In a series of late-night votes that marijuana-rights advocates say reflect a nation’s changing attitudes, the Republican-controlled House moved early Friday to block the federal government from interfering with state laws on pot and hemp.

The most far-reaching of the votes — a measure to cut funds for Drug Enforcement Agency raids on medical marijuana operations — passed 219-189 on the strength of an unusual coalition that cut across traditional partisan lines.

The medical marijuana measure was offered by conservative Republican Dana Rohrabacher of California as an amendment to the fiscal 2015 Commerce-Justice-Science appropriations bill.

There were 49 Republicans who voted “yes” on the medical marijuana amendment, jointly sponsored by Rohrabacher; Sam Farr, D-Calif.; Don Young, R-Alaska; Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore.; Tom McClintock, R-Calif.; Steve Cohen, D-Tenn.; Paul Broun, R-Ga.; Jared Polis, D-Colo.; Steve Stockman, R-Texas; Barbara Lee, D-Calif.; Justin Amash, R-Mich.; and Dina Titus, D-Nev.

Of the 172 GOP “no” votes, five came from members of leadership: Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Virginia, Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy of California, Conference Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington, Conference Vice Chairwoman Lynn Jenkins of Kansas and Chief Deputy Whip Peter Roskam of Illinois.

Fourteen votes in opposition came from committee chairmen. They were:

Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp of Michigan
Judiciary Chairman Robert W. Goodlatte of Virginia
Financial Services Chairman Jeb Hensarling of Texas
Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Darrell Issa of California
Education and the Workforce Chairman John Kline of Minnesota
Budget Chairman Paul D. Ryan Wisconsin
Ethics Chairman K. Michael Conaway of Texas
Veterans Affairs Chairman Jeff Miller of Florida
Agriculture Chairman Frank D. Lucas of Oklahoma
Appropriations Chairman Harold Rogers of Kentucky
Rules Chairman Pete Sessions of Texas
Foreign Affairs Chairman Ed Royce of California
Homeland Security Chairman Michael McCaul of Texas
Armed Services Chairman Howard “Buck” McKeon of California

The “no” votes from senior Republicans indicate that despite marijuana’s increasing embrace by the mainstream, the GOP establishment continues to bristle at the concept. It highlights just how difficult it could be for Congress in the near future to pass any more expansive legislation addressing marijuana legalization, at least as long as Republicans control the House. In fact, consideration of the amendment to the C-J-S appropriations measure was only made possible because the underlying bill was brought to the floor under an open rule, meaning that anybody could force an up-or-down vote on a germane amendment.

Rep. John Fleming, R-La., who said recently he would fight the District of Columbia’s decriminalization of marijuana, also voted “no,” along with fellow Louisiana Republican Steve Scalise, who serves as chairman of the Republican Study Committee.

Republican opposition votes even came from those who hail from Washington and Colorado, which legalized marijuana completely, and from California, which is one of 22 states with a robust medical marijuana program. California Republican Reps. to vote “no” included Paul Cook, Jeff Denham, Doug LaMalfa and David Valadao. Republicans from Colorado to rebuff the amendment were Cory Gardner, who is running for Senate, and Scott Tipton. Dave Reichert from Washington also voted “no.”

There were, however, some influential members among the 49 GOP lawmakers who voted “yes,” including one member of leadership: Republican National Congressional Committee Chairman Greg Walden of Oregon.

Two committee chairman voted in favor of the amendment, too: Natural Resources Chairman Doc Hastings of Washington and Energy and Commerce Chairman Fred Upton of Michigan.

In addition to Hastings and Rohrabacher, naturally, California Republicans Duncan Hunter and Tom McClintock also voted in favor of the amendment. So did Colorado Republican Mike Coffman.

Another notable vote for the provision was Mick Mulvaney, R-S.C., who is widely considered Scalise’s successor to run the RSC in the 114th Congress. His vote could be viewed in the same vein as that of Amash and Kentucky Republican Thomas Massie, two GOP members who have strong libertarian streaks.

Democrats, meanwhile, overwhelmingly voted in favor of the amendment — with some exceptions.

Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida gave the amendment a thumbs-down, as did three committee ranking members: Ways and Means Ranking Member Sander M. Levin of Michigan, Agriculture Ranking Member Collin C. Peterson of Minnesota and Transportation and Infrastructure Ranking Member Nick J. Rahall II of West Virginia. Rep. Rubén Hinojosa, D-Texas, who serves as chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, also voted “no.”

A number of members from the fiscally conservative Blue Dog coalition were also among those who voted “no.” They included Reps. John Barrow of Georgia, Jim Cooper of Tennessee, Henry Cuellar of Texas, Pete Gallego of Texas, Daniel Lipinski of Illinois, Jim Matheson of Utah and Mike McIntyre of North Carolina.

Rahall and Peterson are also Blue Dogs.

In addition to the medical marijuana vote, an amendment prohibiting the DEA from interfering with state hemp production laws passed with 237 “yes” votes. An amendment prohibiting the DEA from interfering with state hemp research programs passed with 246 “yes” votes.

 d-usa wrote:
They could take the very simple step: remove it as a schedule 1 drug. That would fix the "problem".

 Ouze wrote:

 d-usa wrote:
They could take the very simple step: remove it as a schedule 1 drug. That would fix the "problem".

It's just as stupid for Obama to not issue an executive order directing the DEA to no longer raid marijuana facilities in states where they are operating legally; just as he decided to stop defending DOMA.