Congressmen warn District of Columbia on pot legalization
By Ian Simpson WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Possessing and growing small amounts of marijuana in the District of Columbia are set to become legal early on Thursday but top Republican congressmen have warned the city the new standards are unlawful. Voters in the U.S. capital last year overwhelmingly approved Initiative 71, which lets the heavily Democratic city join Washington state, Alaska and Colorado in making marijuana legal for recreational use. We strongly suggest you reconsider your position," committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz of Utah and Mark Meadows of North Carolina, head of a committee subpanel, said in a letter to Bowser late on Tuesday. They said that legalization was barred by language in a December spending bill that prohibited the District of Columbia from spending any funds to make pot legal or lessen penalties.
