Senate Committee Approves DOOBIE Act, AR MedMJ Init Appears Poised for Victory, More... (9/18/24)

A bill to reauthorize the drug czar's office has been filed, the Czech Republic is moving toward marijuana legalization, and more.

Senate Committee Approves DOOBIE Act to Prevent Agencies from Denying Jobs over Past Marijuana Use. The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee voted Wednesday to approve a bill that would limit the ability of federal agencies to use past marijuana use as a factor in employment and security clearance decisions The bill is the cutely-acronymed Dismantling Outdated Obstacles and Barriers to Individual Employment (DOOBIE) Act (S. 4111).

Sponsored by committee chair Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI), the bill is the latest effort to ensure that people seeking federal employment are not penalized because they used marijuana. It says that the agencies covered "may not base a suitability determination with respect to an individual solely on the past use of marijuana by the individual."

"The federal government must adapt its hiring practices to reflect the evolving legal and social landscape of our nation," Peters said. "My bill takes a crucial step by aligning federal policy with existing agency guidance, ensuring that past marijuana use alone doesn't automatically disqualify talented individuals from public service. This approach will expand our talent pool and create a fairer, more inclusive hiring process."

The bill would also require similar policies at the White House Office of Personnel Management and from the Director of National Intelligence. It now awaits a Senate floor vote.

Medical Marijuana

Arkansas Poll Has Medical Marijuana Expansion Initiative Winning. A new poll from Talk Business & Politics-Hendrix College has the Issue 3 medical marijuana amendment winning on Election Day. The poll has the initiative winning with 54 percent of the vote, compared to 35.5 percent opposed, and 10.5 undecided -- suggesting that even if all the current undecideds ended up voting against no, it would still win.

The amendment would expand the state's existing medical marijuana program by allowing patients to grow their own plants at home and allow doctors to recommend it for any medical condition they think it could benefit. It would also allow for reciprocity with other medical marijuana states.

The poll comes about two weeks after Arkansans for Patient Access turned in a final batch of signatures after coming up short in the initial round of petitioning. That allowed them to qualify for the November ballot.

Issue 3 "is something of a referendum on the general concept of medical marijuana in place since a 2016 vote by the people," said Jay Barth, emeritus professor of politics at Hendrix College. "A majority of the respondents in our survey do express support for Issue 3, suggesting a well-funded campaign will be necessary to change the outcome," he said. "Medical marijuana expansion is particularly popular among the state's younger voters, among those with college degrees, among voters of color, and among voters who live in urban/suburban areas. Ratification of Issue 3 would, it seems, move Arkansas voters one step closer to full legalization of recreational marijuana in the state," he said.

Drug Policy

Comer and Raskin Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Reauthorize the Office of National Drug Control Policy. House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer (R-KY) and Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (D-MD) introduced the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Reauthorization Act of 2024 (HR 9598) "to reauthorize the ONDCP and related programs and ensure federal agencies are properly resourced to hold accountable those who are trafficking drugs into the United States at the southwest border," they said in a press release Wednesday.

"The Office of National Drug Control Policy is a key player in the fight against the fentanyl and drug crisis ravaging communities across the United States. This bipartisan bill will hand the ONDCP the necessary tools to combat the drug epidemic and help ensure federal agencies tasked with securing the border and prosecuting drug trafficking are using their resources effectively to prevent illicit drugs from pouring across the southwest border," said Comer.

"This bipartisan bill authorizes critical funding to the federal agencies that are working to end the opioid epidemic. From providing assistance to federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies to improving the tools available for opioid treatment and recovery, Congress is stepping up in our efforts to get federal dollars to the American people," said Raskin.

The bill reauthorizes the Reauthorizes the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program and the Drug-Free Communities (DFC) program at FY 2024 enacted funding levels through FY 2031 and similarly reauthorizes related ONDCP programs including the Drug Court Training and Technical Assistance program, the Model Acts Program, the Community-Based Coalition Enhancement Grants program, and the National Community Anti-Drug Coalition Institute.

It also "codifies the Caribbean Counter Narcotics Strategy" to address drug trafficking in the Caribbean, and requires the director of ONDCP to conduct a study on life-saving opioid overdose reversals.

International

Czech Republic Ponders Marijuana Legalization Models. The legislature is considering moving from marijuana decriminalization to some form of legalization, and former drug policy coordinator Jindrich Voboril has proposed two models: one of full commercial legalization and one echoing Germany's approach of home cultivation and cannabis co-ops without retail sales.

The University of Economics in Prague has examined four models of marijuana regulation: maintaining the decriminalization status quo, legalizing home cultivation only, legalizing home cultivation and cannabis clubs, and full commercial legalization.

The university found that the black market would continue to be a serious problem under the first three models. Under commercial legalization, though, marijuana could generate revenues of $41 billion a year while diminishing the black market. The push for legalization is being led by the Rational Regulation Association, which has been running an "It's OK" campaign to educate the public and lawmakers about legalization and support people suffering under restrictive drug laws.