GOP-controlled House Backs State Medical Marijuana Laws

The GOP-controlled House voted Wednesday to prevent the federal government from blocking state laws that permit the use of medical marijuana.

But lawmakers narrowly declined to direct the Justice Department not to interfere with states like Colorado and Washington that permit the recreational use of marijuana.

The 242-186 vote on medical pot was a larger margin than a tally last year, when the House first approved it as part of a bill funding the Justice Department. Wednesday's vote was to renew the pro-pot language as part of a bill providing funding for the coming fiscal year.

Most Republicans opposed the idea and the Senate is in GOP hands this year, so the outcome could still be reversed. But Senate advocates of medical marijuana won a test vote in the GOP-controlled Appropriations Committee last month.

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