It is unclear if the Republican-controlled Senate will even send an appropriations bill to Trump's desk without the inclusion of wall funding. Either way, broader recreational marijuana laws and people operating under them are not covered under the rider in the Democrats' bill. Mayor Muriel Bower (D) said late last year that she planned to present a bill legalizing marijuana commerce to the District of Columbia Council in early 2019. Advocates believe that Democrats are unlikely to include the D.C. legalization ban language in Fiscal Year 2020 spending legislation, which they will have more time to draft on a provision-by-provision basis this year. It is also possible that a broader rider protecting states with recreational marijuana laws, and not just medical cannabis ones, could be adopted as part of next year's spending legislation.

Source: Forbes January 02, 2019 17:48 UTC